The key characters of the Super Bowl aren’t just limited to those on the field. There are the players, yes, but there are the coaches, the broadcasters, the entertainers, the significant others and more, too. It takes dozens upon dozens of personalities to shape arguably the largest and more prominent sporting event in the United States. Here are The Post’s top 60 people to watch around Super Bowl LX:
Seahawks players
1. Sam Darnold
From Jets castoff, Panthers castoff, 49ers backup, discarded Vikings star to Super Bowl champion? It’s a story made for Hollywood, just five hours south of where Darnold will quarterback the Seahawks on Sunday. In a 2018 draft that also included Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Josh Allen (No. 7) and Lamar Jackson (No. 32) as first-round quarterbacks selected that year, Darnold (No. 3) has taken a long, winding path to being the first one from that group to reach a Super Bowl.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
It didn’t take long for the third-year wideout to establish himself as one of the most prolific in the league, and he was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards. The Seahawks picked him No. 20 overall in 2023 out of Wide Receiver U. (Ohio State), a program that has churned out five first-round picks at that position over the past four drafts.
3. Kenneth Walker III
A second-round pick in 2022, Walker surpassed 1,000 yards for the second time in his career, and with running mate Zach Charbonnet sidelined with a torn ACL, it’ll be the dynamic running back’s show again in the Super Bowl. His average top speed of 13.2 mph on rush attempts is the second-fastest in the NFL this year.
4. Cooper Kupp
The Rams didn’t want him, but at 32 years old, Kupp proved that he still had something left — even if his days of recording nearly 2,000 yards, like he did in 2021, are well behind him, and even if it needed to happen in a complementary role to Smith-Njigba. It all led to a chance for a second Super Bowl ring after his title, and Super Bowl MVP honor, with the Rams to cap his historic 2021 campaign.
5. Rashid Shaheed
Talk about a trade deadline steal. Acquired for just fourth- and fifth-round picks, Shaheed has already produced three return touchdowns in his first 11 games for the Seahawks, and during his one on the opening kickoff in the divisional round, he hit 19.33 mph, according to Next Gen Stats. The speedy wideout has emerged as a vertical threat (12.5 yards per catch during the regular season) for Darnold, too.
6. DeMarcus Lawrence
Lawrence spent 11 years as a face of the Cowboys defense — and, Giants fans will remember, a Big Blue tormentor — but could never crack the Super Bowl. That changed after one year in Seattle. He’s the senior-most Seahawk and still managed to record eight sacks across the regular season and playoffs.
7. Devon Witherspoon
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft made his third consecutive Pro Bowl, earned a second-team All-Pro spot and possesses an integral role in the Seahawks secondary — which has acquired the nickname “The Dark Side” around a decade after the end of “The Legion of Boom.” Witherspoon, a cornerback, finished with seven passes defended and an interception during the regular season.
8. Leonard Williams
Williams started his career with the Jets and Giants, but after Big Blue dealt him to Seattle before the trade deadline in 2023, he has made consecutive Pro Bowls and was named a second-team All-Pro for the first time. At 31 years old, the defensive tackle finished with seven sacks, nine tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.
9. Julian Love
Another one the Giants let get away, with Love departing in free agency following Big Blue’s playoff loss in 2022. He missed nine games in the regular season due to injury, but he returned to his spot as a starting safety.
10. Jason Myers
Myers is the oldest Seahawk, and in his seventh year with the franchise (and following previous stints with the Jets and Jaguars), he set the record for most made kicks in franchise history. He hit 41 of 48 field goals during the regular season, finishing just three shy of David Akers’ record-setting 44 makes in 2011.
11. Nick Emmanwori
Can the Seahawks’ starting safety overcome an ankle injury to still play in the Super Bowl? That’s the expectation for the rookie out of South Carolina, who ranked first among rookies with 13 forced incompletions and 22 pass stops, according to Pro Football Focus.
12. Ernest Jones
Jones was traded to the Seahawks by the Titans in the middle of last season, and since then, the linebacker has picked off seven passes — including one in the divisional round. He has also already tasted a title, too, after winning a ring with the 2021 Rams.
13. Coby Bryant
Named after the late Lakers superstar, Bryant shifted to safety from cornerback and blossomed the past two seasons. He finished with a career-best four interceptions in 2025, while adding seven passes defended and a forced fumble. In college, he and ex-Jet Sauce Garnder formed a shutdown duo at cornerback for Cincinnati.
Patriots players
14. Drake Maye
Will the former No. 3 overall pick be the conductor of the next Patriots dynasty for years to come? There are plenty of current parallels to the roots of the Tom Brady-led run, one of which is Maye’s emergence — over 4,300 yards, a league-best 72 percent completion rate, a narrow second-place finish for MVP — in his second year.
15. Stefon Diggs
The four-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro revived his career with a 1,000-yard, four-touchdown campaign coming off a torn ACL. He has the celebrity relationship of the Super Bowl with Cardi B, too. But his latest off-field issue — he was accused of allegedly assaulting his personal chef and has an arraignment scheduled for Feb. 13 — has loomed over everything that transpired during Diggs’ games for the past month.
16. TreVeyon Henderson
A second-round pick in 2025, Henderson has the chance to go from a College Football Playoff title with Ohio State in his final collegiate season to a Super Bowl ring in his first professional one. He’s a key piece of the Patriots’ two-pronged rushing attack, with 911 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns during the regular season.
17. Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson, in his fifth year, is a link to the Bill Belichick era and the perfect complement to Henderson in the running game — especially over the final half of the season. He has also needed to play the 2025 season while navigating the aftermath of his father Robert’s sudden death in March, with Stevenson recently describing the support of his New England teammates throughout the campaign as “instrumental” for navigating a difficult time.
18. Mack Hollins
He showed up barefoot and with a chess board to his media availability this week at the Super Bowl. He’ll probably show up barefoot Sunday, too — and has been known for his elaborate arrival outfits throughout his career. Oh, and he’s also a critical piece of the Patriots’ passing attack who made his return from an injured reserve stint in the AFC Championship game.
19. Hunter Henry
An 11-year career that started with Henry catching passes from Philip Rivers as the Chargers’ Antonio Gates replacement has finally reached the Super Bowl. He has caught the fourth-most touchdowns (26) among tight ends the past five seasons — trailing three future Hall of Famers in George Kittle (38), Mark Andrews (36) and Travis Kelce (34).
20. Christian Gonzalez
Some quarterbacks won’t even throw in his direction. Those who do often don’t find success. One of the best young, shutdown cornerbacks in the league, Gonzalez will face perhaps the most difficult test — especially given the stakes — of his career when he squares off against Smith-Njigba.
21. Tommy DeVito
The folk hero chapter of “Tommy Cutlets” — when the undrafted New Jersey native started eight games for his hometown Giants in 2023 and 2024 — ended in August when the Patriots claimed him off waivers. DeVito hasn’t taken a snap this year, but he still has a chance to add a ring.
22. Kayshon Boutte
Boutte, the No. 2 wideout in the Patriots’ offense, recently opened up about hitting “rock bottom” at LSU with a gambling addiction that nearly ruined his NFL dream. Since overcoming that, Boutte has established a strong chemistry with Maye, as the pair have combined for 10 touchdowns since the signal-caller entered the league last year.
23. Robert Spillane
The veteran linebacker, signed to a three-year deal in free agency, led the Patriots with 97 tackles in the regular season after reuniting with Vrabel, who coached the Titans during Spillane’s rookie campaign in 2018. That’s why his appearance on the injury report — with an ankle issue he insists he’ll play through — ahead of the Super Bowl was so concerning.
24. Harold Landry III
Another Vrabel guy who signed with the Patriots after his former Titans coach took over. Landry led New England with 8.5 sacks this year — his fifth time in six seasons hitting at least that number — but a lingering knee issue forced him to miss the AFC Championship and has clouded his status for the Super Bowl, though he anticipates playing.
25. Marcus Jones
Jones, a cornerback, has scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams for the Patriots throughout his career, including a pick-six in the divisional round. He possesses an ability to alter the game at any moment with punt returns.
26. Milton Williams
When the Patriots signed Williams to a four-year, $104 million deal, he became the highest-paid player in franchise history, and at just 26 years old, he’s about to play in his third Super Bowl. The first two occurred with the Eagles, including Philadelphia’s win last year when he sacked Patrick Mahomes twice. Could Williams produce some more history on this stage one year later?
27. Andy Borregales
He’s no Adam Vinatieri or Stephen Gostkowski (yet), but the rookie — whose family fled Venezuela before he turned 2 to escape the Hugo Chavez-led government, according to MassLive.com — has the chance to establish himself as the Patriots’ next great kicker after hitting 27 of 32 field goals all but two of his 155 extra point attempts this year.
Coaches
28. Mike Macdonald
The 38-year-old walked back accepting a job at accounting firm KPMG, instead starting his coaching career as an intern for the Ravens. After rising to become John Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator, Macdonald has the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in his second season as head coach — while overseeing the unit that allowed the fewest points per game (17.2).
29. Klint Kubiak
As soon as the Super Bowl ends, he will become the Raiders’ next head coach, but for now, the son of longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak has one more game as the offensive coordinator of the unit that averaged the third-most points (28.4) and ninth-most yards (351.4) per game.
30. Aden Durde
The Seahawks’ defensive coordinator — an England native whose first coaching job came as the defensive coordinator of the BAFA National Leagues’ London Warriors — has already received a head-coaching endorsement from Macdonald. He’s the first British-born coordinator in league history, according to The Athletic.
31. Mike Vrabel
The Titans are probably regretting firing Vrabel and his 54-45 regular-season record right about now. But after a year off, Vrabel returned to his Patriots roots, turned 4-13 into 14-3 and earned Coach of the Year because of it. He just needs to finally complete the deep postseason run with a championship, something his Tennessee teams never accomplished.
32. Josh McDaniels
In Act III with the Patriots, he has continued to remind everyone that he’s as good of an offensive coordinator as a team could ask for, even if his two stints as a head coach have been absolutely woeful. He’s a major reason why Maye took off in his second year, just like he played a major role in the ascension — and maintained success — of Brady.
33. Zak Kuhr/Terrell Williams
When defensive coordinator Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September and couldn’t travel with the team, Kuhr, who was a Giants defensive assistant last year, took over control of the unit. But Williams was recently declared cancer-free and able to travel with the Patriots to at least be with them ahead of the Super Bowl.
34. Ben McAdoo
His stint as Giants head coach didn’t even last two seasons, but he has been with the Patriots the past two seasons — as a senior offensive analyst in 2024, as a senior defensive analyst in 2025 — and overlapped with Darnold as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2022.
Broadcasters
35. Mike Tirico
The iconic play-by-play broadcaster will be calling his first Super Bowl, and as soon as it ends, Tirico will shift into Winter Olympics mode — hosting the Sunday night coverage of the Milan Games from the field at Levi’s Stadium.
36. Cris Collinsworth
The former NFL wideout, lead NBC analyst and seemingly Patrick Mahomes’ biggest advocate — bets can be made on whether he will name-drop the Chiefs superstar on the broadcast —will call his sixth Super Bowl.
37. Melissa Stark
Stark, an NBC sideline reporter, will return to the Super Bowl stage for the first time in 23 years — she was the sideline reporter for ABC Sports in the 2003 Super Bowl — and call the second of her broadcasting career. She returned to the NBC broadcast crew in 2022 as the network’s Michele Tafoya replacement.
38. Kaylee Hartung
The Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” sideline reporter will join Stark on the field Sunday for her Super Bowl debut.
39. Terry McAulay
NFL officiating has never been more scrutinized and under the microscope than it has been recently, and McAuley — an NFL official for 20 years, a referee for the final 17 and a three-time member of a Super Bowl crew — gets the honor of trying to handle the spotlight for explanations and controversial calls as the NBC rules analyst.
WAGs/family members
40. Cardi B
The rapper and 2019 Grammy winner for Best Rap Album went Instagram official with Diggs in June, and the celebrity couple welcomed their first child together in November. She was on the field after the AFC Championship, too. How many times will NBC cut to her during the game, like networks have done with Taylor Swift when Travis Kelce and the Chiefs reached this stage?
41. Katie Hoofnagle
Hoofnagle and Darnold went Instagram official in April 2023 and announced their engagement just over two years later in July. She played club soccer at South Carolina, according to Us Weekly.
42. Ann Michael Maye
She’s the middle school sweetheart of the Patriots’ star quarterback who went viral for her “Bakemas” series on TikTok and has amassed over 535,000 followers on the platform.
43. Jen Vrabel
It started out as Jen asking an Ohio State professor for Mike’s number in a class on time management, according to the Tennessean. The couple have been married since 1999 and have two sons, Tyler and Carter.
44. Stephanie Macdonald
She’s a former cheerleader for the Titans, Commanders and Ravens — and was named a Pro Bowl cheerleader with Baltimore in 2014 — who married the Seahawks’ coach in 2021. The Macdonalds welcomed their first child, Jack, in December 2024.
45. Hailey Lott
The daughter of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott is married to Seahawks defensive end, and former Giant, Leonard Williams.
46. Anna Marie Kupp
The pair of high school sweethearts met in 2012, got married in 2015 and share three children. Anna Marie competed as a heptathlete at Arkansas before transferring to Eastern Washington, according to People.
Entertainment
47. Bad Bunny
The artist, one week after a Grammys where he took home three awards that included Album of the Year, will take over the halftime show. Commissioner Roger Goodell has maintained his support for Bad Bunny’s selection despite pushback that it might take a political turn.
48. Green Day
The pregame festivities at Levi’s Stadium will include a return to the 1990s when the punk-rock band — which formed in nearby Rodeo, Calif. — performs.
49. Charlie Puth
All eyes will be on whether the “See You Again” and “One Call Away” artist, who has been nominated for four Grammys, goes Over or Under the betting line for his national anthem time.
50. Coco Jones
The rising star just won the Grammy for Best R&B Album with her debut studio album “Why Not More?” and will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
51. Brandi Carlile
Carlile, the 11-time Grammy winner and two-time Emmy winner, will sing “American the Beautiful” pregame.
Miscellaneous
52. Shawn Smith
As if officiating wasn’t scrutinized enough already, recent controversial calls have only added to the potential backlash that Smith, who started as an official in 2015 and became a referee in 2018, and his crew could face. It will mark Smith’s first time as an on-field referee after serving as an alternate for the 2021 and 2024 Super Bowls.
53. John Schneider
The Seahawks’ president of football operations and general manager built the Seattle rosters that made Super Bowls 2014 and 2015, and won the former. Then, with an entirely new roster and an entirely new coaching staff, they’re back again. Schneider is regarded as one of the NFL’s best architects.
54. Robert Kraft
The Patriots owner might have been snubbed from the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, but he already has executed his second rebuild with New England — and his first one ended with six Super Bowls.
55. Jody Allen
Allen has run the Seahawks since 2018 following the death of her brother, Paul — the Microsoft co-founder who bought the team in 1997. But a recent ESPN report indicated the Seahawks are expected to be up for sale following the season as part of a directive from Paul for both the Seahawks and the NBA Trail Blazers, who he also owned.
56. Roger Goodell
There’s never a dull moment for Goodell, but the NFL commissioner recently expanded the league’s footprint again with an announcement this week that the Rams and 49ers will meet in the first-ever game in Australia next season. Could an 18-game schedule be next?
57. Kendall Jenner
The model and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” celebrity will appear in an 85-second Fanatics Sportsbook ad taking a jab at her NBA exes — and the “rough patch” they hit — by referencing the “Kardashian curse.”
58. Peyton Manning/Shane Gillis/Post Malone
The former quarterback, comedian and Grammy-winning artist teamed up for a Bud Light ad, in which they try to save a runaway keg at a wedding.
59. Sabrina Carpenter
The two-time Grammy winner, whose “Man’s Best Friend” was recently nominated for Album of the Year, will star in a Pringles ad in which she constructs “Pringleleo” — the man of her dreams — out of chips before watching him get destroyed, and eaten, by fans on the red carpet.
60. Ben Stiller/Benson Boone
The actor, director and avid Knicks fan couldn’t quite replicate Boone’s famous flips during an Instacart ad.
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