To sports fans and non-fans alike, the Super Bowl is well known. This year, the Super Bowl for the 2025-2026 NFL season was played between the Seahawks and the Patriots. Both teams went 14-3 in the regular season, and both teams were their respective division winners. Going into the playoffs, the Patriots were ranked second in the AFC behind the Broncos, and the Seahawks were ranked first in the NFC.
This game was the eleven-year rematch for Super Bowl XLIX in 2014, where the Patriots won due to a goal-line interception by Malcolm Butler. Since then, the Seahawks have not been to the Super Bowl, so this marks the team’s first appearance in over a decade. Super Bowl LX was played in Levi Stadium, located in Santa Clara, California. The average ticket prices have had a major increase since the previous matchup nine years ago, with this year’s average price sitting around $6,500.
As the designated home team, the Patriots chose their jersey color first, which was the iconic white jersey and white pants combo. This Super Bowl appearance was the Patriots’ first since the departure of former head coach Bill Belichick and star quarterback Tom Brady.
This year, the team was led by head coach Mike Vrabel, who was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans before taking the job at New England. That’s not all, though, as he was also a successful NFL linebacker. He was originally drafted by the Steelers and would go on to win three Super Bowls with the Patriots. Vrabel chose the coaching position on the Patriots because he was interested in the chance to work with a young and promising quarterback such as Drake Maye.
Patriots’ Quarterback Drake Maye is a second-year quarterback who was drafted as the third overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Although his first year in the NFL had a rough record of just 4-13, he showed potential to be great under proper coaching. This year, the Patriots were able to turn around their record and went 14-3 in the regular season with an undefeated record on the road. While they had a notably weak schedule, the turnaround in their record is not just due to an easy one.
The Seahawks were the away team, meaning they got to call the coin toss. However, the Patriots won the toss and elected to kick off first. The Seahawks improved their record from the previous year by four more wins. Their last appearance in the Super Bowl was their infamous loss to the Patriots in 2015.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald currently leads the program. Mike Macdonald had no previous head coaching experience, but he did have a minor coaching role for the Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2020. He was then hired by the University of Michigan, and soon after, went back to the Ravens. Although Macdonald has become a notable coach in the NFL, he never played football in college or the NFL, as injuries cut his career short before he could ever play in college.
Along with Macdonald, the Seahawks were also led by quarterback Sam Darnold, who was drafted by the Jets in 2018 as the third overall pick in the first round. Darnold played for the Jets from 2018 to 2020 before he was traded to the Panthers, where he played from 2021 to 2022. He then played for the 49ers and the Vikings until finally going to the Seahawks for the 2025 season.
Aside from the game itself, a big tradition of the Super Bowl is the major halftime show. This year’s performance was by Spanish-speaking rapper Bad Bunny, a decision that was met with some anger and outrage. The halftime performance is selected by Jay Z’s Roc Nation, an entertainment and management company. The performers they choose are usually artists with a major cultural impact or relevance, and while no pay is given to them, the artists have all of their production expenses paid for, as well as free publicity.
In a pre-game survey of 50 HHS respondents, 34% incorrectly predicted the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, while 66% correctly chose the Seahawks. 40% of respondents wanted the Patriots to win, even though fewer people chose them to win. When asked about the halftime performance ahead of time, 48% said they were unenthusiastic for the performance, while 52% said they were. There was a near-perfect split of people who had previously listened to Bad Bunny before, with 53% of respondents saying they enjoy his music.
Additionally, many people predicted quarterback Sam Darnold or wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to win MVP if the Seahawks won, but the award went to running back Kenneth Walker III for his dominant performance and crucial role in their victory.
With this NFL season concluded, many people anxiously await next year to see what teams will be dominant and who will perform at the halftime show for Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
