In the event you’re studying concerning the Tremendous Bowl, likelihood is you are a fairly large soccer fan and know precisely what to anticipate Sunday night.
You already know that the New England Patriots are again within the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time because the finish of the Tom Brady period, seeking to seize their record-setting seventh Tremendous Bowl title. And you already know that the Seattle Seahawks are again within the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time since they made back-to-back journeys over a decade in the past, and need to get revenge for his or her loss to New England in Tremendous Bowl XLIX.
However, perhaps you do not know any of that. Perhaps you are only a informal fan whose solely engagement with soccer yearly goes to a Tremendous Bowl occasion and contributing a couple of phrases right here and there throughout the commercials.
In that case, we have got you lined. That is the eighth annual informal fan’s information to the Tremendous Bowl, the place we’ll train you all the things you can presumably must know to show your self from a novice into an skilled earlier than the sport begins.
Who’s taking part in in Tremendous Bowl 60?
Representing the AFC, we’ve the New England Patriots. The Pats are making their record-setting twelfth journey to the Tremendous Bowl, and their first because the Tom Brady period. In the event that they win this recreation, they will break a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for essentially the most Tremendous Bowl wins in NFL historical past, with seven.
Representing the NFC are the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is again within the Tremendous Bowl for a fourth time in franchise historical past, and the primary since shedding to the Patriots following the 2014 season. In the event that they win this recreation, it will rely as revenge for some of the dramatic (and traumatic) Tremendous Bowl losses within the historical past of the league.
What time is the Tremendous Bowl? The place is it? How do I watch?
Date: Sunday, Feb. 8 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
TV: NBC, stream dwell on Peacock
Observe: CBS Sports activities App
The Tremendous Bowl begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. The sport shall be performed at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The NFL rotates the situation of the Tremendous Bowl yearly as a result of it usually desires to offer a impartial website in order that no staff has home-field benefit. This has labored out in all however two seasons.
This 12 months’s broadcast is on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The common Tremendous Bowl broadcast over the previous 20 years or so has been about three-and-a-half hours. It is fairly lengthy. That features a halftime present that usually lasts 20-Half-hour.
Who’s acting at halftime?
It is six-time Grammy Award winner Dangerous Bunny.
Who’re the quarterbacks of the Patriots and Seahawks?
It is all the time a great wager that the quarterbacks will play an enormous function within the Tremendous Bowl. A quarterback often wins MVP of the sport, in any case. A quarterback has received 34 of the earlier 59 Tremendous Bowl MVP trophies, and 17 of the final 25 since 2000.
The quarterback of the Patriots is Drake Maye (No. 10). Maye is simply in his second NFL season after being chosen with the No. 3 total decide within the 2024 NFL Draft. He is thought of an inner-circle MVP candidate together with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford after Maye led the NFL in completion proportion, yards per try, passer ranking, QBR and anticipated factors added per play throughout the common season. He is struggled a bit as a passer throughout the playoffs however his work as a runner has been terrific, particularly throughout the AFC title recreation towards the Denver Broncos.
The quarterback of the Seahawks is Sam Darnold (No. 14). Darnold can also be a former No. 3 total decide, having been chosen by the New York Jets again in 2018. He washed out with New York and was traded for a pittance to the Carolina Panthers after his third NFL season. He was rapidly benched in Carolina as effectively, then turned a backup for the San Francisco 49ers. Final season, he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 report however the Vikings allowed him to go away in free company to show the quarterback job over to J.J. McCarthy. He signed a free-agent take care of Seattle and led the Seahawks to a different 14-3 report. The NFC title recreation towards the Rams was arguably the very best recreation of his NFL profession.
Are there different particularly notable gamers I ought to know?
In fact! You do not get to the Tremendous Bowl with out a ton of high quality expertise in your staff.
Let’s begin with the Patriots:
- Working backs Rhamondre Stevenson (No. 38) and TreVeyon Henderson (No. 32). Stevenson is a fifth-year again who signed a four-year, $36 million contract. He struggled badly to start out the season, together with having some fumbling points, however has actually come on down the stretch of the season and relegated Henderson to a bit function. Henderson is a rookie who makes a speciality of explosive performs. He crammed in because the lead again rather than Stevenson when the latter was harm throughout the season, however has since slid again right into a secondary function.
- Extensive receiver Stefon Diggs (No. 8). A four-time Professional Bowler and two-time All-Professional, Diggs signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots this previous offseason. He tore his ACL final 12 months however has been totally wholesome all through this season. He is Maye’s high possibility within the passing recreation regardless of not taking part in a full complement of snaps.
- Offensive lineman Will Campbell (No. 66) Campbell was the Patriots’ first-round decide within the 2025 NFL Draft, being chosen with the No. 4 total decide. He had a stable rookie 12 months however has often struggled in go safety, particularly with velocity across the edge. He additionally missed time with an harm towards the tip of the common season and hasn’t regarded his greatest since then.
- Defensive linemen Milton Williams (No. 97), Khyiris Tonga (No. 95) and Christian Barmore (No. 90). Williams signed a monster free-agent take care of the Patriots final offseason and has been implausible in his function. The New England protection reaches a unique degree when he is on the sector. Tonga signed a low-cost take care of New England this previous offseason and has been a revelation, particularly as a run defender. He additionally often operates as a fullback when the Pats get into short-yardage conditions. Barmore is on a four-year, $84 million contract extension signed again in 2024. He was New England’s second-round decide in 2021, and he is largely been an excellent participant since then. He missed a lot of the 2024 season attributable to blood clots however returned this 12 months.
- Cornerback Christian Gonzalez (No. 0). Gonzalez is without doubt one of the greatest cornerbacks within the NFL. He’s usually charged with “shadowing” the opposing staff’s high broad receiver (i.e. following him everywhere in the area, irrespective of the place he traces up) and could possibly be requested to do this on this recreation with Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba (extra on him beneath).
And what concerning the Seahawks?
- Extensive receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 11). JSN had the most effective broad receiver seasons in current reminiscence, catching 119 passes for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s by far the highest goal for Darnold within the passing recreation, lining up everywhere in the formation and breaking opponents down along with his silky-smooth route working and soft-but-strong fingers.
- Working again Kenneth Walker III (No. 9). Walker is the Seahawks’ function again within the wake of an harm to co-starter Zach Charbonnet. Identified for his explosive runs, Walker is not essentially the most constant runner on a down-to-down foundation however he’s a risk to attain any time he touches the ball.
- Defensive linemen Leonard Williams (No. 99), Demarcus Lawrence (No. 0), Uchenna Nwosu (No. 7) and Byron Murphy (No. 91). Seattle’s defensive entrance is without doubt one of the greatest in all of soccer, if not the very best. These guys are absolute game-wreckers who destroy opposing offensive traces each within the run recreation and when dashing the passer. If there’s any space on this recreation the place the Seahawks have an enormous benefit, it’s with this group towards New England’s so-so-at-best offensive line in entrance of Maye.
- Defensive backs Devon Witherspoon (No. 21) and Nick Emmanwori (No. 3). Witherspoon and Emmanwori are key to creating head coach Mike Macdonald’s protection work. Witherspoon is an elite cornerback who splits his time between lining up outdoors and within the slot. Emmanwori is nominally a security however spends a lot of his time working as a slot nook or passing-down linebacker, and he is been implausible within the twin function throughout his rookie season.
- Extensive receiver/Returner Rashid Shaheed (No. 22). The Seahawks traded for Shaheed throughout the season, buying him from the New Orleans Saints in change for fourth- and fifth-round picks. He has principally made his influence within the return recreation but additionally operates as a complementary receiver alongside Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
There are clearly extra notable gamers, however this record is an efficient begin.
Tremendous Bowl 2026: Rating each Patriots and Seahawks starter forward of NFL championship devoid of star energy
Pete Prisco
Who’re the coaches of the Patriots and Seahawks?
The head coach of the Patriots is Mike Vrabel. A former longtime Patriots linebacker who received three Tremendous Bowls with the franchise in 2001, 2003 and 2004, Vrabel is a CEO-style coach (i.e. he doesn’t name performs on both facet of the ball) who leans towards the defensive facet of the ball. He’s the previous head coach of the Tennessee Titans, having gone 54-45 in six seasons with Tennessee whereas additionally main the Titans to 1 AFC title recreation. He was fired by Tennessee amid an influence battle with the entrance workplace and sat out the 2024 season earlier than touchdown the Patriots’ teaching job final offseason. He led one of many greatest single-season turnarounds in league historical past, taking the Patriots from 4-13 to 14-3 in only one 12 months.
The head coach of the Seahawks is Mike Macdonald. Macdonald is extensively thought of the most effective defensive minds within the NFL. A longtime assistant and former defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, Macdonald landed the Seattle job as a part of the 2024 head teaching cycle. He rapidly constructed one of many league’s greatest defenses, which took off down the stretch of the 2024 marketing campaign and remained elite all through this season. Macdonald fired former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after his preliminary season as the pinnacle coach, hiring Klint Kubiak (extra on him beneath) in his place, which helped the offense take one other step ahead and lead the Seahawks to a 14-3 report throughout the common season.
The Patriots and Seahawks additionally each have a number of well-known assistant coaches.
- New England’s offensive coordinator is Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was the longtime offensive coordinator for the Patriots throughout the Invoice Belichick and Tom Brady period. He has been a head coach twice in his profession however every stint was extraordinarily unsuccessful, so he’s again in New England beneath Vrabel, who introduced him in to raise Maye’s profession.
- The Patriots’ defensive coordinator is Terrell Williams. Williams has been coping with a most cancers prognosis all through this season and has been away from the staff, however he’s anticipated to journey to the Bay Space for the sport. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr has been calling the defensive performs in Williams’ place and ought to be anticipated to take action once more throughout the Tremendous Bowl.
- The Seahawks’ offensive coordinator is Klint Kubiak. One of many hottest head teaching candidates in the marketplace this offseason, Kubiak is a extremely revered offensive thoughts. A member of the famed Shanahan teaching tree, he runs an offense that emphasizes the run recreation and play-action passing. He is thought of a front-runner for the open Las Vegas Raiders head teaching job.
- Seattle’s defensive coordinator is Aden Durde. A former line of defense coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Durde hails from London, England, which is kind of uncommon for an NFL coach. He does not name the defensive performs, as that accountability lies with Macdonald.
What’s a great speaking level to convey up with followers of every staff?
- Patriots followers: We’re again on high! (The Patriots had been the winningest franchise within the NFL throughout the Tom Brady period.)
- Seahawks followers: Revenge! (The Seahawks misplaced to the Patriots in traumatic vogue in Tremendous Bowl XLIX.)
