NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Matt Hasselbeck, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, played in the NFL for 18 seasons and was no stranger to playing through injuries.
Both Super Bowl quarterbacks are on the injury report. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is listed with an oblique injury, something he suffered over the past two weeks, while New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is listed with a right shoulder injury.
Hasselbeck said he was in pain from Darnold’s injury and it wasn’t painful.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
(Left) New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) leave the field after a Patriots touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on January 4, 2026. (Right) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks on before the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Los Rams Angeles at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on January 4. 25, 2026. (David Butler II/Imagn Images; Kevin Ng/Imagn Images)
“It’s not a painful injury. You know, I’ve had this injury. It’s not a painful injury. It’s just a little more like the muscle that needs to fire quickly, it’s not necessarily working. But in my experience, it gets better as the game goes on. Sam’s been playing with it for a few weeks now, and it looks pretty good, you know, a little measured but pretty good,” Hasselbeck told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.
Darnold played well in his two playoff appearances. In the Seahawks’ 41-6 blowout victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, he completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, Darnold had one of the best games of his career in what was the biggest game of his career. The former USC star completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ thrilling 31-27 victory.
Hasselbeck said Maye’s shoulder injury might be more difficult to deal with than Darnold’s.
“I think the Patriots listed Drake Maye with a shoulder injury in this last game. It’s a little tougher, too, because it’s not there yet, it’s not so much the pain. It’s just you feel like you have your fastball, so to speak. But this is the NFL. It’s not baseball where you’re on a pitcher’s mound. Part of your job is being a pitcher with people trying to tackled you and lunged towards the ground and hit you,” Hasselbeck said.
PRO BOWL QUARTERBACK MATT HASSELBECK PREFENDS CHOLESTEROL SCREENING AFTER YOUR FATHER PASSES FROM HEART ARREST
Matt Hasselbeck, ESPN Monday Night Football anchor and former quarterback, during the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the New York Jets at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on October 17, 2016. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Maye injured his shoulder during the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. The 23-year-old appeared to be injured in the third quarter when he was hit during a scrum and immediately grabbed his right shoulder.
Maye, who was fantastic in the regular season, did not have the same success in the postseason, despite appearing in the Super Bowl.
In the regular season, the 23-year-old completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In the playoffs, Maye was not as effective through the air, completing 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while getting sacked 15 times.
However, Maye was dynamic with his legs, totaling 141 yards and a touchdown, the only one the Patriots scored in the AFC Championship, in three games.
The Patriots will need Maye to be at his best in the Super Bowl, as the Seahawks defense was the best in the NFL this season, allowing just 17.1 points per game.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
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)
Hasselbeck said both quarterbacks, with the combination of an extra week of rest and modern medicine, should be ready to compete in the big game.
Hasselbeck played for four different teams during his 18-year career: 10 seasons with the 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 face the Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
