Super Bowl 2026: 10 things to know about the New England Patriots

1. The New England Patriots were founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, a charter member of the AFL. They joined the NFL in 1970, moved to Foxborough, Massachusetts, the following year and changed their name to the New England Patriots.

2. Robert Kraft purchased the team from James Orthwein in 1994 for a then-NFL record $172 million. In Kraft’s 32 years as owner, the Patriots have made the playoffs 23 times and had just six losing seasons. They have won 20 division titles, 11 AFC championships and six Super Bowls under Kraft. The Patriots will try to become the first team with seven Super Bowl victories. The Steelers also have six.

3. Mike Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls playing for the Patriots, enjoyed a historic return to New England in his first season as head coach. They are the first team to reach the Super Bowl after losing 13 games the previous season. If the Pats win, Vrabel will be the first person to win a Super Bowl as a player and a coach with the same franchise.

4. One of Vrabel’s best moves was bringing back Josh McDaniels for a third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator. McDaniels, who took last year off after being fired as Raiders head coach in 2023, has been instrumental in developing second-year quarterback Drake Maye. McDaniels is the Patriots’ only current coach who was a part of all six Super Bowl wins.

5. Maye, 23, will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl (Dan Marino, SB XIX). If the Patriots beat the Seahawks, Maye will be the youngest quarterback to hoist the Lombardi trophy. He also will be the first quarterback to accomplish that in his first postseason since Tom Brady with New England (SB XXXVI).

6. Former Jets quarterback Josh McCown coached and mentored Maye for parts of two seasons at Myers Park High School in North Carolina. McCown also mentored and coached opposing Super Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold. McCown was Darnold’s backup with the Jets and quarterbacks coach last season with the Vikings.

7. Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams stepped away from the team in Week 2 to undergo treatment for prostate cancer. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, a former Giants defensive assistant, has been calling the defense. New England ranked fourth in total defense and eighth in points allowed. Vrabel wears a vest with “T Strong” under the Patriots emblem to honor and support Williams.

8. The Patriots are the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 on the road. Three other teams have won at least nine away games, including the 2007 Super Bowl champion Giants, who won 10 on the road. New England is the only one to go undefeated.

9. New England’s 54 points scored is the fewest over three playoff games for a team that made the Super Bowl. The Patriots have allowed only 26 points, the second fewest behind the 2000 Ravens, who yielded 16 in three playoff games before beating the Giants, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV.

10. Sixteen players remain from Bill Belichick’s last season with the Patriots in 2023. Seven started in the AFC Championship Game: Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, Christian Barmore, Christian Elliss, Christian Gonzalez and Anfernee Jennings. All-Pro special teamers Marcus Jones and Brenden Schooler also were brought in by Belichick.