Familiarity from February remains heading into the first game of September.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, four players in the fold for the 2026 season opener have been both New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks during their NFL journeys.
Here’s a glance through those connections ahead of Wednesday’s 8:20 p.m. ET Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field.
SEATTLE
Eric Saubert, tight end — Saubert has been a member of 11 organizations since becoming Drake University’s first NFL
draft choice in 34 years. The No. 174 overall selection in the 2017 class spent his initial campaigns with the Atlanta Falcons before being acquired at Gillette Stadium in exchange for a conditional pick back in 2019. The stint started and finished that August at the league’s 53-man roster deadline. But the 32-year-old blocking tight end has found a home with the Super Bowl LX champions on the heels of myriad transactions. Saubert signed a one-year deal with Seattle in 2025 and had earned a one-year extension after activated from injured reserve last December. A veteran of 112 games in the regular season, including 24 starts, he has caught 51 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns. An additional two starts came during the Seahawks’ latest playoff run.
NEW ENGLAND
Ben Brown, guard — The Patriots released Brown as the NFL deadline dust settled last week. The vested veteran, who signed a contract extension in December, quickly returned to the 53-man roster after the procedural move. Brown’s NFL career got underway as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. A torn biceps in his preseason debut resulted in him spending all of his rookie season on injured reserve. Waived the following August, the Ole Miss product signed to the Seattle practice squad. From there, Brown was promoted to the active roster that September, waived and re-signed to the practice squad that October, then let go that November. Stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders followed before he was signed off the latter’s practice squad and started at center in Foxborough the same week in the fall off 2024. The 28-year-old interior lineman has gone on to appear in 27 games for New England, starting 14 between center and guard while totaling 998 snaps on offense and 124 snaps on special teams.
Greg Van Roten, guard — A veteran of 144 NFL games toured Foxborough in August. And as injuries mounted along the offensive line in the preseason, that visit that gave way to a contract. The 36-year-old Van Roten had been unsigned since opening of the new league year. He now resides on the reigning AFC champions’ 53-man roster. Standing 105 starts into his run, the 2012 undrafted free agent out of Penn has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. And in 2014, Van Roten spent six months in Seattle before being released at the 53-man roster deadline and moving into the CFL ranks with the Toronto Argonauts. Between guard and center, the veteran has amassed 105 starts and finished past two campaigns having logged 100 percent of the offensive snaps.
Dre’Mont Jones, outside linebacker — The Patriots reached a three-year deal with Jones as the official start of NFL free agency loomed in March. The 29-year-old edge rusher and convert from defensive tackle checks in as a veteran of 108 games and 69 starts. Entering the league out of Ohio State in the third round of the 2019 draft at No. 71 overall, Jones has since racked up 253 tackles, 37.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He spent 2025 between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens by way of trade. Prior to then, Jones saw action in every game across a pair of campaigns with Seattle before being released entering the final leg of a three-year contract. His Seahawks stay featured 23 starts, 8.5 sacks as well as a safety.
