Super Bowl 2026: Records that could fall when Patriots battle Seahawks

If records are indeed meant to be broken, apparently no one has told the teams and players who participated in some of the recent Super Bowls. As we prepare for Super Bowl LX, a number of the oldest Super Bowl records remain intact, although some were set before the creation of the first Nintendo.

Former Raiders linebacker Rod Martin has held the record for interceptions in a Super Bowl (three) for 45 years. No one has come within 40 yards of Timmy Smith’s single-game Super Bowl record in the 38 years since he scored 204 yards in Washington’s blowout win over the Broncos. A year after Smith’s record-breaking day, Jerry Rice racked up 215 receiving yards in San Francisco’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a Super Bowl record that still stands to this day.

One of those records has a good chance of being broken when the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks face off. Here’s a look at that record and several other records that could fall during the 60th edition of the Super Bowl.

Most Super Bowl wins: 6

The Patriots are just one win away from having the record for most Super Bowl wins.

Each of New England’s Super Bowl victories belongs to Robert Kraft, a former Patriots season ticket holder who purchased the franchise in 1994. It didn’t take long for the franchise to experience success under Kraft; the Patriots reached the Super Bowl in 1996 (losing to the Green Bay Packers) and won their first Super Bowl title in 2001 after upsetting the heavily favored Rams.

Patriots Super Bowl Results

The Patriots’ 12 Super Bowl appearances are already a Super Bowl record. No other NFL franchise has more than eight trips to the big game.

Youngest QB to win the Super Bowl: 23 years and 340 days

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye can break Roethlisberger’s record 20 years after Big Ben won the Super Bowl at the end of second season with the Steelers. At 23 years and 162 days old, Maye will become the second-youngest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.

Hall of Famer Dan Marino was 23 years and 127 days old when he and the Dolphins faced the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. Although the game wasn’t close (the 49ers pulled away in the second quarter en route to a 38-16 victory), the game was nonetheless a showcase of two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Marino and Joe Montana.

Marino’s 318 yards that day tied Terry Bradshaw’s single-game Super Bowl record for passing games. Montana, however, broke that record by throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 59 yards (a Super Bowl record for a quarterback) and added a rushing touchdown.

Longest field goal: 57 yards

Considering the accuracy of today’s long-range kickers, it’s a bit surprising that there wasn’t a longer field goal in the Super Bowl. That could change this year given the two kickers who will take part in the game.

Patriots rookie kicker Andres Borregales made a season-high 59-yard field goal during the regular season and made each of his four field goal attempts at least 50 yards. Seattle kicker Jason Myers’ season-high 57-yard field goal matches the Super Bowl single-game record for distance. He kicked a 59-yard field goal in 2024 and attempted a 61-yard field goal throughout his career in 2021.

Myers made all nine of his kicks (including his three field goal attempts) in Seattle’s first two playoff victories. Borregales made all six of his point-after attempts and four of his six field goal attempts in New England’s first three playoff games.

Most receiving yards: 215

• Record holder: Jerry Rice, 49ers (Super Bowl XXIII)

Rice set his current record just one year after Washington receiver Ricky Sanders recorded a Super Bowl-record 193 yards in a blowout win over the Broncos. Rice’s record-breaking performance helped the 49ers defeat the Bengals in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played.

There are several notable players in this Super Bowl who could break Rice’s record, including Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, whose dominance this season has evoked memories of Rice.

Although he has never eclipsed 180 receiving yards in an NFL game, Smith-Njigba had 347 receiving yards in college during Ohio State’s comeback victory over Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl. Smith-Njigba, who caught 15 passes and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s 48-45 victory, set an all-time record in a bowl game FBS for receiving yards.

Most captures: 14

Although it was ultimately tied four times, no one broke former Bengals tight end Dan Ross’ Super Bowl receptions record (he caught 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl XVI) until former Broncos player Demaryius Thomas hauled in 13 passes in Denver’s Super Bowl loss to Seattle in 2014. White broke Thomas’ record three years later while also scoring the first overtime touchdown in Super Bowl history as the Patriots overcame a 28–3 deficit.

Smith-Njigba also has a chance to break this record. Ironically, his NFL career single-game receptions mark was set against the Patriots. He caught 12 of 16 targets for 117 yards in Seattle’s 23-20 overtime win over New England in Week 2 of the 2024 season.

Most return yards: 244

• Record holder: Desmond Howard, Packers (Super Bowl XXXI)

Like Howard did for the Packers nearly 30 years ago, Rashid Shaheed’s special teams prowess this season played a key role in the Seahawks’ run to the Super Bowl. Shaheed, who started the season in New Orleans before being dealt before the deadline, earned his second career Pro Bowl nomination this year after returning a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. He returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in Seattle’s eventual rout of San Francisco in the NFC divisional round.

During Super Bowl XXXI, then-Patriots coach Bill Parcells decided to punt Howard late in the third quarter despite Howard’s success up to that point in the game. Howard made him pay by returning a kickoff 99 yards that proved to be the final score of the game. It will be interesting to see if current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel takes a similar approach regarding Shaheed.

Highest completion percentage: 88%

• Record holder: Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI

Simms was simply on fire leading the Giants to their first Super Bowl victory. He was actually a perfect 10 of 10 in the second half as the Giants turned a 10-9 halftime deficit into a 39-20 victory over the Broncos. Simms finished the game with 268 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-25 passing.

While Sims not worried about his record fallingThere’s a chance Maye or Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold could break it in this year’s Super Bowl. Maye completed a league-high 72% of his passes during the regular season and had two games in which he completed over 90% of his throws. It’s worth noting, however, that both of these performances came against two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Jets and Titans.

Darnold has completed at least 82.4 percent of his throws in three games this season, including a season-high 87.5 percent of his passes in a win over Washington. However, like Maye, Darnold’s most efficient games this season from a completion percentage standpoint came against several of the league’s worst teams.

Most combined punts: 22

• Record holder: Giants/Ravens, Super Bowl XXXV

I’m sure no one is hoping that this record is about to be broken in this year’s Super Bowl, unless you’re a fan of rock-and-roll defensive battles.

Although both teams have top five offenses, they have two of the best defenses in the league. Seattle and New England finished first and fourth, respectively, in the NFL during the regular season in fewest points allowed.

As John Madden said, a good defense usually beats a good offense. If this comes to fruition on Sunday, it could lead to a low-scoring defensive affair that could include a multitude of punts from both teams.