Patriots captains reflect on Super Bowl LX loss: 'It still stings'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass — "It still stings."

That's what Hunter Henry said when asked about the New England Patriots' Super Bowl LX loss just over two months after the game was played.

While many members of the team have returned to the facility for the start of the voluntary offseason program, with the focus now turning towards the 2026 season, the tight end, as well as veteran linebacker Robert Spillane, were asked about the loss and reflected on it.

“I watched a little. It still stings, to be honest with you,” Henry said. “Obviously, we didn’t play to the capability that we wanted to play at all on the biggest stage, and that was very disappointing and hard to process for a while. Definitely has taken a while. It still stings. But I think that is good. That’s good that it stinks. It’s good. It makes you want to work a little harder to get all the way to the end. To then not achieve it was hard.

“There was a lot of positives when you really step back from it and able to really look at the full picture. I mean, making it all the way there is obviously a blessing, and it’s really, really hard to do.”

The Seahawks ultimately came away with the victory, winning 29-13, as experience overpowered inexperience on the field.

“It’s disappointing. It stings, it hurts,” Spillane said. “It feels like that wasn’t supposed to be a part of our journey, but obviously it is. All you can do from that is learn from it, grow as a person as a player, and that’s our focus.”

However, while the Patriots accomplished a lot, earning a spot in the NFL's biggest game despite many counting them out before the season even began, Henry emphasized that this allows them to grow individually and as a team.

“Obviously, getting there was big, but we didn’t make it all the way. We didn’t do enough,” Henry said. “So, you’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror. What can you do more? How can you be better? How can I be a better teammate? How can I be a better player so that at the end we can hoist that trophy and not be the one to walk off the field.”