The Latest: Seahawks get their turn at Super Bowl Opening Night

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Super Bowl Opening Night is ongoing, with Drake Maye, Sam Darnold and other Super Bowl participants meeting with thousands of reporters from across the globe in a zany spectacle that kicks off the week’s festivities on Monday night.

Maye and the New England Patriots will take on Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

First, the athletes will meet more than 6,000 credentialed reporters who will pepper them with questions ranging from the standard football topics to the silly and offbeat stuff.

The event began as a daytime introduction of the teams and evolved into a live, ticketed, prime-time showcase on national television.

The Latest:

Cooper Kupp says 18th regular-season game would need to make sense financially for players

Even though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said expanding the regular season to 18 games is “not a given,” several players said they expect it to be discussed long before the current labor deal expires in 2030.

Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp hinted that owners would have to give up a bigger piece of the financial pie to get it done.

“For the 18th game to happen, there’s obviously going to be some negotiation,” Kupp said. “There’s some things, give and take. Unfortunately, it’s one of those things. If the 18th game is on the table, there’s going to have to be some talks about what makes that worth it to the players. And we’ll get to that point. We’ll cross that bridge.”

Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald calls Klint Kubiak’s likely departure ‘bittersweet’

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has mixed feelings as he prepares for the Super Bowl.

It won’t be long after Sunday’s game that teams start raiding Seattle’s coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is likely to become the head coach in Las Vegas and could take a handful of assistants with him.

“Our coaches, as they get these opportunities to take it to the next level, you’re happy for them,” Macdonald said. ”It’s a little bittersweet because (Kubiak is) such a a great person and great coach.

“We have a lot of great coaches and those people are going to have opportunities as well.”

Seahawks’ Cooper Kupp would like to see halftime show led by Noah Kahan

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan has a fan in Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp.

Asked to pick one person to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show, Kupp thought about it for a minute before going with Kahan.

“I have a few people I really love listening to,” Kupp said. “I’m a big Noah Kahan fan. Noah could get some people around him, too, that can make a pretty cool thing collaboratively come to life. So I’ll go with that one.”

Bad Bunny is the halftime act for Sunday’s game.

Sam Darnold gets an odd gift: A hat that looks like a giant ham

Of all the zaniness of the Super Bowl’s Opening Night, this one was hammier than most.

A reporter presented Seahawks quarterback San Darnold with an oversized hat designed to look like a giant ham, complete with pineapple slices.

“I’ll wear it later,” Darnold said politely.

But the reporter asked him to wear it for a photo, and Darnold obliged. He also held up a poncho made from a Mexican blanket that had “Ham for Sam” printed on the front.

“You made this just for me?” Darnold asked. “You did not.”

On a more serious note, Darnold thanked his family for helping through his journey that started with the New York Jets and included stops in Carolina, San Francisco and Minnesota before Seattle.

“It’s important to have those people in your life,” he said. “The only thing that matters is if you believe in yourself. That’s really it. I always believed in myself. I knew that I could do this at a high level, and that was really it.

“That’s what kept me going. And I knew at some point an opportunity would arise. But even if I didn’t, I knew that I did everything that I could to become a better player, year in and year out.”

Patriots roll with their road white jerseys even though they’re the home team

The Patriots are the home team for the Super Bowl but will be wearing their road jerseys.

New England’s team captains were allowed to choose which uniform combination to wear as the home team. Coach Mike Vrabel joked that they chose white jerseys because “they are more slimming.”

The reality is the Pats are 9-0 on the road this season — undefeated in white tops.

“Let’s roll with the whites,” the team captains told Vrabel.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, will wear their home blue jerseys despite being designated the visiting team.

Patriots coordinator Terrell Williams happy to be back with team after cancer battle

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams is back with the team for the Super Bowl after spending nearly five months getting treated for prostate cancer.

Williams attended meetings at the Patriots’ facility during his cancer battle, but he hasn’t traveled with the team all season and hasn’t been on the sideline since Week 1. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr filled in as New England’s defensive play-caller.

Williams was declared cancer-free during the playoffs and cleared to join the team at the Super Bowl.

The 51-year-old Williams has given up soda and alcohol, saying Monday he needed to improve his nutrition anyway and the diagnosis put him on a path to better health.

“Honestly, my thoughts are about the game and not really about me or the Super Bowl or anything,” he said. “This could be a preseason game and I’d be happy to be here with these guys after kind of what I’ve been through, what we’ve been through.”

Stefon Diggs isn’t intimidated by Super Bowl stage after 11 NFL seasons

It took Stefon Diggs 11 seasons and four teams to make the Super Bowl. But he’s not feeling any pressure because “it’s the game we’ve been playing.”

Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns this season. He was a key playmaker for blossoming quarterback Drake Maye. And even though he’s never played in the NFL’s ultimate game, he won’t be overwhelmed by the stage.

“I’ve been in the league a long time,” Diggs said during the Super Bowl’s Opening Night. “As far as the corners, I’ve seen some of the best corners in the game, Hall of Fame corners, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, all those guys.

“I took a lot of lumps earlier in my career, so understanding what I’ve seen, I come with a little bit of experience, I guess, to kind of show out in the game.”

Diggs previously played for Minnesota, Buffalo and Houston.

Drake Maye says Tom Brady told him there are ‘no shortcuts’ to success

Drake Maye is following Tom Brady’s path in leading the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in his second season.

Maye said he has met Brady a few times and the best advice he has gotten from the seven-time Super Bowl champion is there are “no shortcuts” when it comes to succeeding in the league.

Brady led the Patriots to the Super Bowl title in the 2001 season, his second in the NFL, after he took over for injured starter Drew Bledsoe early in the year. He played in the Super Bowl 10 times, going 7-3 — including three wins in his first five seasons.

Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez looks forward to matchup with Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez could have his hands full in the Super Bowl. Gonzalez will be tasked with trying to slow down Seahawks star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

It should be one of the best matchups of the game.

“He can do everything from every spot on the field,” Gonzalez said at Super Bowl Opening Night. “He’s a smooth route-runner, can run every route, and he’s just an amazing player. I got the utmost respect for him, and I’m excited for Sunday.”

Smith-Njigba led the NFL this season with 1,793 yards on 119 catches and scored 10 touchdowns.

Gonzalez had 69 tackles and 10 pass defenses.

Drake Maye says his older brothers are his heroes

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has more than one hero in his life. He has three — his older brothers.

Speaking at Super Bowl Opening Night, Maye said he looked up to brothers Luke, Cole and Beau more than anyone else.

“My older brothers, my heroes,” he said. “Just growing up with them, having somebody that’s that close to me, kind of live their own lives and me just learn from them and be the youngest brother and to have the opportunity to have something to chase.”

Maye and his brothers grew up in Cornelius, North Carolina, where they attended William A. Hough High School. Maye transferred after his freshman year to Myers Park High School in Charlotte and ended up playing college football for the Tar Heels.

He will be the second youngest QB to start a Super Bowl, at 23 years and 162 days.

Roger Goodell doesn’t expect anything divisive from Bad Bunny at Super Bowl

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he doesn’t expect Bad Bunny to say anything divisive during his Super Bowl halftime performance.

The Puerto Rican musician won album of the year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. While accepting an earlier award, Bad Bunny criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for its dramatic expansion of immigration arrests.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”

Goodell was asked if he expects political statements from Bad Bunny, Green Day or any other artists performing at the Super Bowl. He says Bad Bunny understands that the NFL is providing a platform “to unite people and be able to bring people together.”

“Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world,” Goodell added. “And that’s one of the reasons we chose him.”

Roger Goodell says he played no role in Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to make it clear that the Pro Football Hall of Fame board he’s on does not make the rules, so he played no role in Bill Belichick’s reported snub.

“We have no involvement in what they’re charged with,” Goodell said, noting the Pro Football Hall of Fame is “completely and entirely run separately” from the NFL.

ESPN reported last week that Belichick fell short of making the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

“I’m not even sure whether it’s true because I don’t think the class has been announced at the end of the day,” Goodell said. “As I said before, Bill Belichick, I think, is the second-winningest coach in NFL football, six Super Bowls as a head coach and two as a defensive coordinator. That’s a Hall of Fame career.

“But there’s a decision-making process here, and it’s a timing issue. … There are a lot of people who want to be in that Hall of Fame, and Bill Belichick deserves to be in that Hall of Fame, too.”

Roger Goodell says it’s too soon to say whether Giants’ Tisch could be disciplined by league

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it’s too soon to say whether New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch might be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy.

Tisch’s name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the Justice Department regarding Jeffrey Epstein.

“We are going to look at all the facts,” Goodell said. “We’re going to look at the context of those. We’re going to try to understand that, and we’ll look at how that falls under the (personal conduct) policy. But I think we’re taking it one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”

Tisch acknowledged last week that he knew Epstein and they “exchanged emails about adult women” and “discussed movies, philanthropy and investments.” But the 76-year-old Tisch denied going to Epstein’s island and was never charged in the investigation.

Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.

Roger Goodell says no talks yet on expanding NFL season to 18 games

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league and the players union have not had “any formal discussions” about an 18-game schedule.

He added they have had “very little informal conversations.”

Goodell says expanding from 16 to 17 games “went quite smoothly.”

“But the challenges will be different here a little bit, and it’ll depend on a lot of factors, including safety of the game,” he said.

Goodell suggested part of the discussion will include roster sizes and whether teams should have two bye weeks to potentially accommodate an extra regular-season game.

NFL will return to Mexico City for total of 9 international games next season

The NFL will play nine international games next season, with commissioner Roger Goodell announcing a return to Mexico City.

He says the league will play regular-season games at Estadio Banorte in each of the next three years.

Goodell added that he hopes the NFL will continue adding international games until it has 16 per season, meaning every team will play one game abroad.

Ten teams hold marketing rights in Mexico as part of the league’s Global Markets Program.

The NFL also extended its longstanding broadcast partnership with TelevisaUnivision, an official media partner for the last 60 years, as part of the league’s commitment to increasing fan access to live games and NFL programming in Mexico.

The NFL’s international schedule in 2026 includes games played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.

Saints will play in the first NFL game in France

The NFL will play its first regular-season game in France next season, with the New Orleans Saints set to travel to Paris.

The league announced Monday that the game will be played at the Stade de France. The NFL also has a multiyear deal to keep playing regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The NFL already had its first game in Australia scheduled for next season, with the Los Angeles Rams set to host that one. It also will play in Rio de Janeiro, Munich and three games in London. The league also could return to Mexico City this fall.

The NFL has played 62 regular-season games outside the U.S. so far, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto serving as hosts.

The Saints’ opponent will be determined once the schedule is finalized in a few months.

NFL releases statement on Giants co-owner appearing in Epstein files

The NFL released a statement on New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, whose name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the Justice Department regarding Jeffrey Epstein.

“The league is aware of the reports and Steve’s response,” the statement read. “Our office will look into the matter to understand the facts.”

Tisch said last week he knew Epstein and they “exchanged emails about adult women” and “discussed movies, philanthropy and investments.” But the 76-year-old Tisch denied going to Epstein’s island and was never charged in the investigation.

Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.

Patriots QB Drake Maye deals with illness on top of Super Bowl pressure

New England quarterback Drake Maye didn’t practice on Friday because he was dealing with an illness, the latest wrinkle in the quarterback’s preparation for his first Super Bowl.

Maye also has a shoulder injury, though he was at the team’s facility and able to participate in team meetings. The 23-year-old is in his second season with the Patriots. He’s an MVP candidate after a stellar year that included 4,394 yards passing and 31 touchdowns in the regular season.

Coach Mike Vrabel has said he doesn’t expect the illness or the shoulder injury to affect Maye’s performance on Sunday.

Sam Darnold is the first class of ’18 QB in the Super Bowl

Sam Darnold will be starting in the Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL’s Class of 2018 quarterbacks. It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get there.

Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record, a division title, the No. 1 seed and was at his best in the NFC championship game.

Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle’s 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He completed 25 of 36 passes and had no turnovers.

NFL turf guru has spent a year and a half preparing the Super Bowl field

The process of preparing the Super Bowl field got underway long before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots started getting ready for the 2025 season.

Nick Pappas — the NFL’s turf guru — chose the sod farm that began growing the grass for the game about 16 months ago. He has spent time since then monitoring the progress.

The job went into overdrive in January, when Pappas and his crew started a monthlong installation and preparation process to make sure that the story of the game is about the teams and not the grass.

The field at Levi’s Stadium will be the stage for the country’s most-watched sporting event on Feb. 8, along with the pregame and halftime festivities and concerts that make Super Bowl Sunday a cultural capstone.

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