Ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gives Sam Darnold edge over Drake Maye for Super Bowl LX

The 2 quarterbacks facing disconnected against each different successful Super Bowl LX — Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold and New England Patriots' Drake Maye — person taken antithetic roads successful the NFL to get to the biggest crippled of their careers to date.

Ultimately, 1 volition locomotion distant a champion, portion the different volition deliberation astir what they mightiness person done otherwise to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy instead. So, who has the backmost edge?

Former NFL backmost Ryan Fitzpatrick, who presently works arsenic a panelist for Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football," has watched some quarterbacks each play long, and their playoff matchups starring up to this point. He knows which backmost comes into this crippled playing amended than the other.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

New York Jets backmost Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) drops backmost to walk against the Tennessee Titans during the archetypal 4th astatine MetLife Stadium connected Dec. 13, 2015. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

"Sam’s successful a large groove close now, and I would springiness the borderline to Sam and the Seahawks for sure," helium told Fox News Digital, portion recapping his abrogation successful Aruba connected behalf of the Aruba Tourism Authority.

Darnold has lone played 2 playoff games fixed the Seahawks’ No. 1-seed presumption successful the NFC. He didn’t person to bash overmuch against the San Francisco 49ers, arsenic Kenneth Walker III scored 3 touchdowns and rushed for implicit 100 yards. Still, Darnold was capable to implicit 70% of his passes for 124 yards with a touchdown walk and a 110.9 backmost rating. 

But his champion crippled this play came astatine the cleanable clip successful the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, his NFC West rival. He matched Matthew Stafford’s 3 touchdown passes, portion outdoing him successful passing yards (346) successful a fantastic show to assistance his squad to the Super Bowl.

PATRIOTS' DRAKE MAYE, SEAHAWKS' SAM DARNOLD BOTH LISTED ON INJURY REPORTS AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks connected the tract aft the NFC Championship NFL shot crippled against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Darnold and the Seahawks are connected a roll, and precise intelligibly person the close momentum going into this contest. However, Fitzpatrick believes this is besides a clip that works perfectly for the Patriots and Maye, who has struggled successful his archetypal 3 playoff games of his career.

The defence has been the agleam spot looking backmost astatine these playoffs, but Maye is besides an MVP campaigner due to the fact that of however accordant and businesslike helium was each season. Fitzpatrick believes helium tin get backmost to that for this matchup.

"I deliberation with Drake Maye with this off-week, oregon bye week, is going to beryllium bully for him due to the fact that helium has struggled a small spot successful the playoffs," helium explained. "He was truthful accordant and businesslike successful the regular season. We’ve had the fumbles, it hasn’t been the aforesaid ratio that determination was successful the season.

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye (10) reacts aft the New England Patriots decision the Denver Broncos successful the 2026 AFC Championship Game astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High successful Denver, Colorado. Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

"For him to instrumentality a week and instrumentality a heavy enactment and realize, adjacent though helium hasn’t played his champion the past 3 weeks, they’re successful the Super Bowl. All helium has to bash is play his champion crippled connected Super Bowl Sunday, and they’re going to beryllium conscionable fine. It’s been bully for him to person a small spot of a reset."

PATRIOTS HEAD BACK TO SUPER BOWL AFTER NARROW AFC TITLE WIN OVER BRONCOS

Football fans cognize however impactful backmost play is, making it adjacent much important successful the last crippled of the season.

Will Darnold enactment blistery successful Santa Clara? Will Maye beryllium backmost to his regular-season aforesaid travel kickoff? Either way, Fitzpatrick wants some of them clicking connected each cylinders.

"I’d emotion to spot immoderate fireworks. I cognize we’re not going to person snow, truthful we’re not going to get the 10-7 game, hopefully. But I would emotion to spot this beryllium a small spot of a shootout," helium said.

ONE HAPPY ISLAND, ONE HAPPY FITZ

After a agelong shot season, Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, visited Aruba for immoderate well-earned relaxation to reset and recharge earlier the Super Bowl. 

He partnered with the Aruba Tourism Authority, which showcases the island’s committedness to liable tourism, which includes protecting the island’s earthy environment, celebrating section civilization and inviting guests to question mindfully done the Aruba Promise and Guest Guidelines.

Fitzpatrick did that and loved each infinitesimal of it, arsenic helium experienced the outdoor manner that Aruba, nicknamed "One Happy Island," has to offer.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, enjoyed their clip successful Aruba aft the 2025 NFL season. (Aruba Tourism Authority)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"My woman and I — 7 kids. So, we precise seldom get away. So, erstwhile we get away, we gotta marque definite it’s the close spot, and this 1 hit. It has the white-sand beaches, it has the resort, which is great. But it besides has the adventure. I’m not a feline that likes to conscionable beryllium connected the formation and get the tan each time long. There was hiking, we were swimming successful a earthy pool, we went and searched immoderate caves a small bit. 

"The large happening for my woman and I, close distant you consciousness relaxed. Then, we travel location and determination is this aerial of happiness and rejuvenation that we’re feeling. It stayed with us."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.