NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
While most football fans are excited to see the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks face off in Super Bowl LX, there is a fan base that might consider this matchup to be the worst possible game.
The New York Jets haven’t seen the playoffs in 15 years, the worst mark of any professional sports team in the United States. And fans certainly weren’t happy to see a 3-14 finish in the first season under head coach Aaron Glenn.
But to make matters worse, the Patriots, their AFC East rival who were with them with back-to-back four-win seasons, quickly turned around with Mike Vrabel at the helm and Drake Maye becoming an MVP candidate in his second season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the field after the NFC NFL Championship football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27 against the Los Angeles Rams. (Getty Images)
The Jets and their fans have spent years being tormented by Tom Brady and the Patriots, and getting New England back into the “Big Game” isn’t ideal.
Next on the other sideline in Santa Clara will be the Seahawks, the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year, led by quarterback Sam Darnold — the Jets’ No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Darnold is the first quarterback from this draft, which included Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, to reach the Super Bowl. Jets fans imagined Darnold wearing the green and white, beating the Patriots en route to the Super Bowl.
EX-NFL QUARTERBACK RYAN FITZPATRICK GIVES SAM DARNOLD ADVANTAGE OVER DRAKE MAYE FOR SUPER BOWL LX
Things have never been this way for Gang Green, but one former Jets quarterback believes there’s only one way fans can root for something in this Super Bowl.
“I think there are probably a lot of people who still support Sam,” Ryan Fitzpatrick told PK Press Club Digital, while discussing his trip to Aruba with his wife, Liza, after a partnership with the Aruba Tourism Authority.
“Sam would be the first to say he didn’t play well enough, but it’s very difficult when you don’t have the infrastructure and people around you to succeed as a quarterback in this league. I think Jets fans should be happy and proud to see Sam come out the other side, because it’s not easy.”
Sam Darnold of the New York Jets looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Darnold’s stay in New York lasted only three seasons despite being selected in the draft, culminating in weeks of ups and downs and unfortunate memes, including his most infamous against the Patriots where he claimed to see “ghosts” on the field.
After stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, Darnold was able to revive his career in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 14-win season last year. That allowed him to choose where he wanted to go in free agency this past offseason, and he chose the Seahawks after trading Geno Smith.
Darnold clearly made the right choice.
If Fitzpatrick were still a Jets fan — he actively supports the Buffalo Bills, the team he played for before joining New York — it would be easy to support Darnold’s success.
But even though Fitzpatrick himself has been beaten by the Patriots for years during his career, he finds himself reluctantly rooting for them on Sunday.
“What’s hard for me about this one, I mean, I always hated the Patriots. Even though I was in Boston, I was at Harvard, they had a good little run while I was there. I’ve always not been a Patriots fan, and then it’s like I spent eight years of my career in the AFC East getting beat up by them every year,” he explained. “The fact that they’re good again and in the Super Bowl after Tom and Bill left, and now with Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye.
Ryan Fitzpatrick on set during the TNF on Prime pregame show before an NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“It’s a tough realization, but I love Mike Vrabel so much. I was with him in Houston, I play golf with him at the American Century in Houston. [Lake] Tahoe every summer. He’s a great guy. I love his family, I love his children, I love him. So I actually feel like I’m rooting for New England in this game, which pains me to say. »
A HAPPY ISLAND, A HAPPY FITZ
After a long football season, Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, traveled to Aruba to relax and recharge before the Super Bowl.
It has partnered with the Aruba Tourism Authority, which highlights the island’s commitment to responsible tourism, which includes protecting the island’s natural environment, celebrating local culture and inviting guests to travel mindfully through the Aruba Promise and Guest Guidelines.
Fitzpatrick did it and loved every minute of it, all while experiencing the outdoor lifestyle that Aruba, nicknamed “One Happy Island,” has to offer.
Ryan Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, enjoyed their stay in Aruba following the 2025 NFL season. (Aruba Tourism Authority)
“My wife and I, seven kids. So we very rarely get away. So when we go we have to make sure it’s the right place, and this one hit the spot. There are white sand beaches, there’s a resort, which is great. But there’s also adventure. I’m not one to sit on the beach and sunbathe all day. There was hiking, we swam in a natural pool, we went searching a bit of caves.
“The nice thing for my wife and I is that we feel relaxed right away. Then we come home and there’s this air of happiness and rejuvenation that we feel. That stayed with us.”
