The Super Bowl is unlike any other game on the NFL calendar, and not just because it will decide the champion. It also has a spectacle around it unmatched in the sport and simply functions differently: the breaks are extended, it is played at a neutral site, and kickoff time is also relatively unique.
All of this added together makes preparing for the big game a unique challenge. Having experience, however, can help with that. And while neither the New England Patriots nor the Seattle Seahawks came
anywhere close to the Super Bowl the last few years, they do have some experience within their ranks — with the Patriots holding a slight edge.
Patriots players with Super Bowl experience
WR Mack Hollins: A fourth-round rookie in 2017, Hollins won a Super Bowl at the expense of his current team. The then-Eagles wideout played 17 offensive snaps in Philadelphia’s 41-33 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII without registering any statistics.
TE Austin Hooper: One year before Mack Hollins won a ring, Austin Hooper narrowly missed out on one. A rookie third-round draft pick with the Falcons in 2016, he caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl LI. However, his efforts were for naught: the Patriots famously erased a 28-3 deficit to complete the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history and leave Hooper ring-less.
DT Milton Williams: Super Bowl LX will be Williams’ third appearance on the game’s biggest stage. He played a rotational role for the Eagles in their 38-35 loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, and two years later got his revenge: playing at a level worthy of MVP recognition, he registered two sacks, a a forced fumble and a recovery en route to Philadelphia blowing out Kansas City 40-22.
LB Christian Elliss: A teammate of Williams’ in Philadelphia, Elliss was part of the first Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl. He was exclusively used on special teams in that contest, playing 24 snaps without registering any stats — or winning a ring, for that matter.
CB Carlton Davis III: Davis and Milton Williams are tied for second place on the Patriots in playoff games with 12 each so far, and both also can call themselves Super Bowl champs thanks to a blowout win over the Chiefs. Davis won his ring in 2020, when the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers left Kansas City no chance in a 31-9 victory in Super Bowl LV. A starter at cornerback, Davis registered five tackles.
In addition to those five, the Patriots also have two others players on their payroll with Super Bowl experience. Both are on the practice squad: outside linebacker Patrick Johnson spent most of the last five seasons in Philadelphia, and was part of the team’s Super Bowl LVII roster without appearing in the game. Fellow LB Darius Harris, who currently resides on practice squad injury list, saw action in two Super Bowls as a member of the Chiefs.
In addition, offensive tackle Yasir Durant, who is on IR at the moment, was part of one Chiefs Super Bowl team: the one that lost to Carlton Davis and the Buccaneers.
Seahawks players with Super Bowl experience
QB Sam Darnold: After flaming out in both New York and Carolina, Darnold joined the 49ers in 2023 to serve as a backup behind starting quarterback Brock Purdy. As such, he was part of a team that advanced to Super Bowl LVIII. He did not see any action in the eventual 25-22 overtime defeat, though.
WR Cooper Kupp: Eight wide receivers have won the Super Bowl MVP award, and Kupp is one of them. The first wideout to be honored since Julian Edelman three years prior, he earned the trophy thanks to a eight-catch, 92-yard, two-touchdown performance in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win over the Bengals.
LB Ernest Jones IV: A third-round draft pick by the Rams in 2021, Jones was part of the same Super Bowl-winning team as Cooper Kupp. While his teammate made headlines, the then-rookie also played a big role: he started the game at linebacker and finished with seven tackles as well as a sack.
CB Josh Jobe: Like Ernest Jones, Jobe also was a rookie during his lone Super Bowl appearance so far. However, his came a year later: he was part of the Eagles’ 2022 team that lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. He saw no defensive action but did play 23 snaps on special teams.
Like the Patriots, the Seahawks also have two players on their practice squad with Super Bowl experience. Running back Cam Akers and cornerback Tyler Hall both were with the Rams alongside Kupp and Jones when they won Super Bowl LVI.
