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A three-time Pro Bowler, Matt Hasselbeck amassed a lot of experience in his 18-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl appearance.
Hasselbeck led the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl XL against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but lost the game 21-10. During a recent interview with Pak Gazette Digital, Hasselbeck was asked what advice he would give to Sam Darnold and Drake Maye, who are making their first Super Bowl starts.
The 50-year-old’s advice was simple: have fun.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) battles with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. December 6, 2015. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
“Well, have fun. I think that’s a big thing. You know, my dad (Don Hasselbeck) actually won Super Bowl XVIII with the Raiders against Washington, and I remember that team having a lot of fun. Like they were the silver and black, the Raiders, all that, but they had fun,” Hasselbeck told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.
“And even when I got drafted to the Green Bay Packers, they were just coming off two straight Super Bowls. And Brett Favre and those guys, like they were having fun. I would say in Seattle, like not really knowing we were having fun, like we were cutting it off, because it didn’t feel like work.”
Hasselbeck completed 26 of his 49 passes for 279 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the loss. He urged Darnold and Maye to call it quits but, no matter what, take it one play at a time.
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Drake Maye (10) of the New England Patriots stands for the national anthem before the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on January 25, 2026. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
“For Sam and the Seahawks or Drake Maye and the Patriots, I’d say one play at a time, guys. Let it go. Sixty minutes, all you’ve got. At the end of the day, you look at the scoreboard, what it says is what it says. Control what you can control. Let it go and have fun. But there’s no such thing as a play. There’s no such thing as a 14-point touchdown. There’s no use in looking ahead. One play at a time. Let it go. Well or bad, one play at a time.
The quarterbacks are listed with ailments on the injury report and will battle injuries in the Super Bowl.
Both quarterbacks face solid defenses. The Seahawks allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season (17.1).
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Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks enters the field after the Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 31-27, in the NFL NFC Championship football game in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl. January 25, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
The Patriots have beaten the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos in the playoffs, allowing just 8.6 points per game en route to the Super Bowl.
Hasselbeck played for four different teams in his 18-year career: 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, three with the Indianapolis Colts, two with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Tennessee Titans. In 209 games, he completed 60.5% of his passes for 36,638 yards with 212 touchdowns and 153 interceptions.
The Seahawks will play the Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday at 6:30 pm ET.
