SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Super Bowl Opening Night is set to begin, 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\u2019s festivities on Monday night.<\/p>\n
Maye and the New England Patriots will take on Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi\u2019s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The event began as a daytime introduction of the teams and evolved into a live, ticketed, prime-time showcase on national television.<\/p>\n
The Latest:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPatriots roll with their road white jerseys even though they\u2019re the home team<\/p>\n
The Patriots are the home team for the Super Bowl but will be wearing their road jerseys.<\/p>\n
New England\u2019s 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 \u201cthey are more slimming.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reality is the Pats are 9-0 on the road this season \u2014 undefeated in white tops.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s roll with the whites,\u201d the team captains told Vrabel.<\/p>\n
The Seahawks, meanwhile, will wear their home blue jerseys despite being designated the visiting team.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPatriots coordinator Terrell Williams happy to be back with team after cancer battle<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Williams attended meetings at the Patriots\u2019 facility during his cancer battle, but he hasn\u2019t traveled with the team all season and hasn\u2019t been on the sideline since Week 1. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr filled in as New England\u2019s defensive play-caller.<\/p>\n
Williams was declared cancer-free during the playoffs and cleared to join the team at the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, my thoughts are about the game and not really about me or the Super Bowl or anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could be a preseason game and I\u2019d be happy to be here with these guys after kind of what I\u2019ve been through, what we\u2019ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tStefon Diggs isn\u2019t intimidated by Super Bowl stage after 11 NFL seasons<\/p>\n
It took Stefon Diggs 11 seasons and four teams to make the Super Bowl. But he\u2019s not feeling any pressure because \u201cit\u2019s the game we\u2019ve been playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s never played in the NFL\u2019s ultimate game, he won\u2019t be overwhelmed by the stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been in the league a long time,\u201d Diggs said during the Super Bowl\u2019s Opening Night. \u201cAs far as the corners, I\u2019ve seen some of the best corners in the game, Hall of Fame corners, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, all those guys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a lot of lumps earlier in my career, so understanding what I\u2019ve seen, I come with a little bit of experience, I guess, to kind of show out in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diggs previously played for Minnesota, Buffalo and Houston.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tDrake Maye says Tom Brady told him there are \u2018no shortcuts\u2019 to success<\/p>\n
Drake Maye is following Tom Brady\u2019s path in leading the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in his second season.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cno shortcuts\u201d when it comes to succeeding in the league.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 including three wins in his first five seasons.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPatriots\u2019 Christian Gonzalez looks forward to matchup with Seahawks\u2019 Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It should be one of the best matchups of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can do everything from every spot on the field,\u201d Gonzalez said at Super Bowl Opening Night. \u201cHe\u2019s a smooth route-runner, can run every route, and he\u2019s just an amazing player. I got the utmost respect for him, and I\u2019m excited for Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith-Njigba led the NFL this season with 1,793 yards on 119 catches and scored 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez had 69 tackles and 10 pass defenses.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tDrake Maye says his older brothers are his heroes<\/p>\n
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has more than one hero in his life. He has three \u2014 his older brothers.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Super Bowl Opening Night, Maye said he looked up to brothers Luke, Cole and Beau more than anyone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy older brothers, my heroes,\u201d he said. \u201cJust growing up with them, having somebody that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He will be the second youngest QB to start a Super Bowl, at 23 years and 162 days.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tRoger Goodell doesn\u2019t expect anything divisive from Bad Bunny at Super Bowl<\/p>\n
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he doesn\u2019t expect Bad Bunny to say anything divisive during his Super Bowl halftime performance.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s administration for its dramatic expansion of immigration arrests.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I say thanks to God, I\u2019m going to say ICE out,\u201d Bad Bunny said. \u201cWe\u2019re not savage, we\u2019re not animals, we\u2019re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cto unite people and be able to bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world,\u201d Goodell added. \u201cAnd that\u2019s one of the reasons we chose him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tRoger Goodell says he played no role in Bill Belichick\u2019s Hall of Fame snub<\/p>\n
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to make it clear that the Pro Football Hall of Fame board he\u2019s on does not make the rules, so he played no role in Bill Belichick\u2019s reported snub.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no involvement in what they\u2019re charged with,\u201d Goodell said, noting the Pro Football Hall of Fame is \u201ccompletely and entirely run separately\u201d from the NFL.<\/p>\n
ESPN reported last week that Belichick fell short of making the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not even sure whether it\u2019s true because I don\u2019t think the class has been announced at the end of the day,\u201d Goodell said. \u201cAs 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\u2019s a Hall of Fame career.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s a decision-making process here, and it\u2019s a timing issue. \u2026 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tRoger Goodell says it\u2019s too soon to say whether Giants\u2019 Tisch could be disciplined by league<\/p>\n
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it\u2019s too soon to say whether New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch might be subject to the league\u2019s personal conduct policy.<\/p>\n
Tisch\u2019s name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the Justice Department regarding Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to look at all the facts,\u201d Goodell said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to look at the context of those. We\u2019re going to try to understand that, and we\u2019ll look at how that falls under the (personal conduct) policy. But I think we\u2019re taking it one step at a time. Let\u2019s get the facts first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tisch acknowledged last week that he knew Epstein and they \u201cexchanged emails about adult women\u201d and \u201cdiscussed movies, philanthropy and investments.\u201d But the 76-year-old Tisch denied going to Epstein\u2019s island and was never charged in the investigation.<\/p>\n
Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tRoger Goodell says no talks yet on expanding NFL season to 18 games<\/p>\n
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league and the players union have not had \u201cany formal discussions\u201d about an 18-game schedule.<\/p>\n
He added they have had \u201cvery little informal conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goodell says expanding from 16 to 17 games \u201cwent quite smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the challenges will be different here a little bit, and it\u2019ll depend on a lot of factors, including safety of the game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tNFL will return to Mexico City for total of 9 international games next season<\/p>\n
The NFL will play nine international games next season, with commissioner Roger Goodell announcing a return to Mexico City.<\/p>\n
He says the league will play regular-season games at Estadio Banorte in each of the next three years.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ten teams hold marketing rights in Mexico as part of the league\u2019s Global Markets Program.<\/p>\n
The NFL also extended its longstanding broadcast partnership with TelevisaUnivision, an official media partner for the last 60 years, as part of the league\u2019s commitment to increasing fan access to live games and NFL programming in Mexico.<\/p>\n
The NFL\u2019s international schedule in 2026 includes games played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tSaints will play in the first NFL game in France<\/p>\n
The NFL will play its first regular-season game in France next season, with the New Orleans Saints set to travel to Paris.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Saints\u2019 opponent will be determined once the schedule is finalized in a few months.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tNFL releases statement on Giants co-owner appearing in Epstein files<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe league is aware of the reports and Steve\u2019s response,\u201d the statement read. \u201cOur office will look into the matter to understand the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tisch said last week he knew Epstein and they \u201cexchanged emails about adult women\u201d and \u201cdiscussed movies, philanthropy and investments.\u201d But the 76-year-old Tisch denied going to Epstein\u2019s island and was never charged in the investigation.<\/p>\n
Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPatriots QB Drake Maye deals with illness on top of Super Bowl pressure<\/p>\n
New England quarterback Drake Maye didn\u2019t practice on Friday because he was dealing with an illness, the latest wrinkle in the quarterback\u2019s preparation for his first Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
Maye also has a shoulder injury, though he was at the team\u2019s facility and able to participate in team meetings. The 23-year-old is in his second season with the Patriots. He\u2019s an MVP candidate after a stellar year that included 4,394 yards passing and 31 touchdowns in the regular season.<\/p>\n
Coach Mike Vrabel has said he doesn\u2019t expect the illness or the shoulder injury to affect Maye\u2019s performance on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tSam Darnold is the first class of \u201918 QB in the Super Bowl<\/p>\n
Sam Darnold will be starting in the Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL\u2019s Class of 2018 quarterbacks. It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get there.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle\u2019s 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He completed 25 of 36 passes and had no turnovers.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tNFL turf guru has spent a year and a half preparing the Super Bowl field<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nick Pappas \u2014 the NFL\u2019s turf guru \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The field at Levi\u2019s Stadium will be the stage for the country\u2019s most-watched sporting event on Feb. 8, along with the pregame and halftime festivities and concerts that make Super Bowl Sunday a cultural capstone.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Super Bowl Opening Night is set to begin, with Drake Maye, Sam Darnold…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":725336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[81894,2910,7,1167,249,2326,2094,6,208],"class_list":{"0":"post-725335","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-england-patriots","8":"tag-ap-sports","9":"tag-associated-press","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-new-england","12":"tag-new-england-patriots","13":"tag-newengland","14":"tag-newenglandpatriots","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-patriots"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116004685359502304","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=725335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/725336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=725335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=725335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=725335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}