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When the Seattle Seahawks take the field against the New England Patriots on Sunday, it will be their fourth Super Bowl appearance.
The franchise’s first appearance came in 2006 in Super Bowl XL, as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck led them to a 13-3 regular season record. However, the Seahawks’ first trip to the big game didn’t go as they hoped, as they lost 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In that game, Hasselbeck completed 26 of 49 passes for 273 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital, the 50-year-old said there was only one thing he would have done differently.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback (8) Matt Hasselbeck warms up before Super Bowl XL against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, February 5, 2006. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2006)
“I don’t think I would have done anything other than not lose my composure. There were a couple calls in the game that didn’t go our way, and I lost my temper with the referee and I didn’t get my composure back by the time the 40-second clock was up, you know, it was time to start the next play,” Hasselbeck told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.
“So I threw an interception on this play that I’m talking about, and then I made the tackle on that interception, and then I got flagged again for making the tackle, which, you know, it’s a whole other thing, I was even more upset about it.”
PRO BOWL QUARTERBACK MATT HASSELBECK PREFENDS CHOLESTEROL SCREENING AFTER YOUR FATHER PASSES FROM HEART ARREST
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears during the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, January 16, 2011. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The three-time Pro Bowler said he learned his lesson by taking things one step at a time. That lesson from the Seahawks’ Super Bowl loss not only helped him as an athlete, but also as a father.
“If something ridiculous happens in your mind, move on. And so I think that’s something that has definitely helped me as an athlete, it’s helped me as a father. You know, you get in the car, my kids would tell you, you get in the car after a sporting event with me, you’re not allowed to talk about the referees. You can talk about whatever you want to talk about, but you don’t talk about the officials. Don’t do it. And It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way,” Hasselbeck said.
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Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck greets fans before the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on January 25, 2026. (Jane Gershovitch/Getty Images)
Although the Seahawks did not win Super Bowl XL, they returned to the Super Bowl in the 2013 season and defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win the franchise’s first-ever title. They made it to the Super Bowl the following season, against the Patriots, but lost 28-24 when Russell Wilson was intercepted at the goal line by Malcolm Butler to seal the defeat.
Now, the latest iteration of the Seahawks hopes to raise the franchise’s Super Bowl record to .500 and get revenge on the Patriots for the heartbreaking loss more than 11 years ago.
The Seahawks face the Patriots on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
