2026 Super Bowl Matchup Heating Up
The buzz has been building for a while now.
Fans of the NFL have been talking about the Super Bowl image released back in September. It all got new life on Sunday night when the Patriots and Seahawks secured their spots for the game in Santa Clara.
The graphic, originally shared during Week 1, features Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and Patriots guard Drake Maye leading their teams toward Levi’s Stadium, where they’ll face off in less than two weeks.
After the outcome of the AFC and NFC title games—where the Patriots triumphed over the Broncos and the Seahawks took down the Rams—social media went wild for the image.
One commentator, Jacob Morley from Packer Report, quipped, “The screenwriters have done it again,” on X.
Robert Griffin III, an ex-NFL quarterback now an analyst, chimed in, pointing out that the two players depicted closest to the trophy would indeed be the quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. “Little did they know…”, he wrote.
Another user expressed feeling “chills” at the coincidence.
NFL writer John Frasella mirrored that sentiment on X: “Is this graphic from September?? Wait…zoom in…are those Sam Darnold and Drake Maye in the front row closest to the Super Bowl trophy? Chills, man…chills.”
This upcoming matchup revives memories of Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots edged out the Seahawks 28-24, thanks to a Malcolm Butler interception.
That game marked another championship for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, while Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll just came up short after a dominant win over the Broncos the previous year.
Now, things are different; it’ll be Maye and new Patriots coach Mike Vrabel facing off against Darnold and Seahawks coach Mike McDonald in their second year.
Darnold had previously been a backup for Brock Purdy during the 2024 Super Bowl with the 49ers, but he’s found new life this season after a notable turnaround with the Vikings last year. He signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks last March, helping them become the top seed in the NFC.
As for Coach Vrabel, he’s on a mission to rebuild the Patriots’ reputation after a tough 4-13 season, with Maye emerging as a serious MVP contender during what’s been a standout sophomore season for him.
Mark your calendars—the 2026 Super Bowl kicks off on February 8th at 6:30 p.m.
