Super Bowl 60 Media Night: Observations from the NFL’s goofiest night

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Super Bowl 60 Media Night: Observations from the NFL’s goofiest night

Matt Vautour · MassLive

Tue, Feb 3, 2026 ·

4 min read

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Your eyes didn’t deceive you, that was a ham steak on Sam Darnold ’s head.

As Super Bowl Media Night, it was tame. But as a press availability, it was still pretty nuts.

It’s officially called Super Bowl Opening Night now. It used to be Super Bowl Media Night and before that Super Bowl Media Day. It’s a strange collection of traditional sports media, wannabe influencers and a whole bunch of people with a gimmick all working side-by-side five days before the Patriots face the Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.

It makes for a busy, loud, unusual, mostly fun night.

Here are some of the highlights.

∗ Guillermo from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” made his annual appearance and remains a gem.

He gave Sam Darnold a hat that looked like a bone-in ham steak. The Seahawks QB was a good sport and put it on.

∗ Ann Michael Maye appears to have eclipsed Betty Crocker, Sara Lee and Mrs. Fields as America’s most famous producer of baked goods.

It wasn’t just her quarterback husband fielding questions about her, although he got plenty. There was more than one media member canvassing the event, polling players and coaches about their favorite Ann Michael Maye treats.

With no Travis Kelce this year to ask about Taylor Swift, the Mayes emerged as the most popular football couple. It’s amazing that the nickname “Bake Maye” hasn’t stuck yet.

∗ With interest in both his marriage and the health of his throwing shoulder, Drake Maye had a considerably bigger media crowd than anyone else including Mike Vrabel.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)AP

∗ Mike Vrabel was asked if it was a must-win game. Unclear whether the asker was serious.

∗ A media member dressed as a Charizard (which is a Pokémon thing that I looked it up) gave New England DB Alex Austin a pack of Pokémon cards and then spent a long time explaining how to use those cards.

∗ Patriots rookie Kyle Williams was asked whether a turtle who lost its shell was homeless or naked. He spent a lot of time pondering the answer before determining that the answer was naked and that such a turtle would look like SpongeBob sidekick Patrick Star.

∗ Podiscrum would be a great portmanteau that would only ever be used on media night.

∗ I arrived expecting that Seattle’s relative proximity to the Bay Area would have given the Seahawks a huge advantage in fans at the Super Bowl. But the 49ers fans hate the Seahawks and have adopted the Patriots, evening the playing field.

∗ Patriots tight end C.J. Dippre and Seahawks fullback Robbie Ouzts are best friends and Dippre will be in Ouzts’ wedding this spring.

∗ A reporter from Ireland told me that American football is growing rapidly on the Old Sod and that many locals are hoping for the Patriots to be sent there the next time Ireland hosts a game.

“Everybody over here has a cousin in New York or Boston.”

∗ There was a reporter with developmental disabilities representing the Special Olympics asking questions, creating an uplifting moment amid the silliness.

∗ Which Patriots don’t get enough attention? Jack Gibbens and Christian Elliss , according to Robert Spillane .

∗ What coach living or dead would Mike Vrabel most like to coach against? Paul Brown.

∗ It is almost twice as far from San Francisco to Santa Clara as it is from Boston to Foxborough.

∗ For fans, the event is free to attend, but they still need tickets. So people were lined up outside the San Jose Convention Center hours before it started. Fans can’t get particularly close to the players or coaches, but for someone who can’t get/afford game tickets, it’s a chance to partake in Super Bowl week.

∗ Devin McCourty was at media night with his daughter, who was wearing a blue No. 32 Patriots jersey with the name “Daddy” on the back. He said his son still has a No. 32 but:

“My middle son has a (TreVeyon) Henderson jersey,” he said. “He’s moved on.”

∗ Former Patriot fullback Jakob Johnson , who was one of the biggest success stories of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, was at Media Night for German Television.

∗ They brought the leaders from both teams onto the stage with the Lombardi Trophy. But like with the Stanley Cup, nobody touched it. If that’s not an NFL superstition, it should be.

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