Sam Darnold completed 29 throws to veteran wide receiver Jermaine Kearse during his rookie year under center in the AFC East. But what was Super Bowl XLIX is now Super Bowl LX. And there’s more recent familiarity to account for than the remnants from a decade ago.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, four players in the final fold have been both New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks during their NFL careers. Some will cross paths again at Levi’s Stadium on sidelines overseen
by head coaches Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald.
Here’s a glance through those ties leading up to the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Santa Clara on Sunday, Feb. 8.
SEATTLE
Eric Saubert, tight end — It had been 34 years since Drake University’s last NFL draft selection. In the fifth round back in 2017, that Bulldogs drought ended at No. 174 overall. Saubert has toured 11 organizations since entering the league. After spending his initial pair of campaigns with the Atlanta Falcons, he was acquired at Gillette Stadium in exchange for a conditional pick in 2019. But a stay that began in August also ended in August. He was waived at the 53-man roster deadline. Since then, the 31-year-old blocking tight end made stops with the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. And also with the winners of the NFC, reaching a one-year deal in March and then a one-year extension upon being activated from injured reserve in December. A veteran of 112 games in the regular season, including 24 starts, Saubert has caught 51 passes for 420 yards with three touchdowns. His most recent visit to the end zone came on a two-point conversion in overtime.
NEW ENGLAND
Jack Westover, fullback — In October of 2024, the Patriots signed Westover to the practice squad. Listed as a tight end at the time, the undrafted University of Washington product had spent his rookie NFL training camp with the Seahawks before reverting to injured reserve and reaching a settlement. After twice serving as a standard elevation, Westover was signed to the active roster on the eve of last campaign’s finale. The 26-year-old hasn’t left the 53 since then. From wearing to No. 87 to wearing No. 37, he’s appeared in every game for New England as an NFL sophomore. From the opener up through the AFC Championship Game, the converted fullback has made four starts and two receptions while seeing 312 snaps on offense along with 216 snaps on special teams.
Marshall Lang, tight end — The Patriots hosted a trio of tight ends for workouts as the calendar turned to September. There was Zach Davidson. There was Cole Turner. There was also Lang. He circled back to join the practice squad in October. By December, the rookie tight end had circled back again in the same capacity. But in between those two stints, he was a member of the Seahawks. Originally signing as an undrafted free agent, Lang spent the 2025 preseason in Seattle and caught three passes for 20 yards before being waived at the NFL’s cutdown deadline. And for just over a week in November, the 23-year-old Northwestern alum returned to the NFC West as part of the practice squad.
Ben Brown, guard — Brown’s NFL journey began as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals. The former Ole Miss interior lineman tore his biceps in his preseason debut and spent all of 2022 on injured reserve. After being waived the following August, he 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. Two more stops followed on the way to his current club. Signed off the practice squad of the Las Vegas Raiders in the fall of 2024, Brown became the starting center in Foxborough that same week. He’d start 10 altogether before having his exclusive rights retained ahead of the 2025 league year. Since then, Brown has appeared in every game from Week 1 through Week 21. Making four starts, the 27-year-old’s campaign has spanned snaps at left guard, right guard, center and jumbo tight end.
