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APTOPIX Super Bowl Football

Walker capped a prolific postseason with another big performance on the ground to help the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots29-13 Sunday nightfor a championship.

While the defense carried Seattle for much of the postseason, Walker was once again the engine of the offense by rushing for 135 yards and adding 26 receiving for his third straight 100-yard game from scrimmage in the postseason. He became the first running back since Terrell Davis 28 years ago to win Super Bowl MVP.

Walker stepped up his game after backfield mate Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury and it couldn't have come at a more important time for the Seahawks or a more opportune time for Walker.

The 25-year-old running back is in the final year of his rookie contract and is slated to become a free agent in 2026. Thanks to his playoff run, Walker figures to be in line for a significant pay bump.

Walker gained 413 yards from scrimmage in the three wins for Seattle this postseason. He became the first player to top 100 yards from scrimmage in every playoff game for a Super Bowl champion since Terrell Davis did it in back-to-back seasons in 1997-98 for the Broncos.

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While fantasy football owners and Walker were sometimes frustrated that he didn't carry a bigger load of the offense, especially in the red zone, in the regular season, the job share with Charbonnet did mean Walker was fresh for the playoffs when he was at his best.

Walker averaged less than 15 touches from scrimmage per game in the regular season when he delivered his first 1,000-yard rushing season since his rookie year.

But he averaged nearly 25 touches per game in the playoffs when he showed he's capable of being a bell-cow back.

Walker started fast with a 10-yard run on the opening snap and had 55 yards in the ground on a field-goal drive later in the first half for the most by any player on one drive in the Super Bowl in 20 years.

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New England managed only four first downs and 51 yards of total offense in the first half. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards and was sacked three times while Seattle's defense racked up five tackles for loss.

However, the Patriots stayed within striking distance by twice limiting the Seahawks to field goals in the red zone. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez also nearly intercepted Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold at the goal line just before the half, but did prevent a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

New England receives the second-half kickoff.

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The Seahawks opened the scoring on a 33-yard field goal by Myers on their opening drive. Seattle took the kickoff and moved the ball 51 yards in just over three minutes, with Darnold sharp on completions to tight end A.J. Barner and Cooper Kupp in tight coverage, but the drive stalled on the Patriots' 14-yard line.

That proved to be the only scoring of the opening quarter. New England penetrated Seattle territory on both of its first two drives, only to suffer three negative plays -- including a pair of sacks -- that resulted in two punts. The Seahawks managed only one more first down in a pair of drives after the field goal.

The teams combined for only 104 total yards in the first quarter.

NOTES: Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Rylie Mills, who entered the game with 1 career solo tackle, recorded his first NFL sack when he dropped Maye for a 10-yard loss in the second quarter. Mills suffered a torn ACL toward the end of his 2024 season at Notre Dame, causing him to slide to the fifth round of last year's draft. Mills was activated by the Seahawks in November, but played only a modest role in the line rotation. ... The first penalty of the game wasn't called until 3:09 remaining in the second quarter, when Patriots left tackle Will Campbell was flagged for a false start.

--Derek Harper, Field Level Media

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New England Patriots

2025 season record:14-3, (o 8.5 wins), first in AFC East,lost Super Bowl LX, ninth in DVOA

Overview

All expectations were exceeded for the first year of Mike Vrabel's tenure in New England. The Patriots immediately turned back into a contender after just a few down seasons and now they have one ofthosequarterbacks who can be among the tier of players who will keep their team competitive regardless of the surroundings.

Drake Maye emerged as one of the league's best quarterbacks during his second season. He led the league in EPA per play at the position and was a close runner-up for MVP. Maye was second in the rate of "boom" plays that accounted for 1.0 EPA per play or more, while he also avoided negative plays and ranked seventh in "bust" plays that went for -1.0 EPA or worse. He led the league in completion percentage while he had the league's highest average depth of target.

[Get more Patriots news: New England team feed]

Maye's play made up for a running game that was 21st in DVOA and a defense that ranked 23rd. The Patriots have a path that can allow the other units to catch up to the quarterback and passing game, but they also have a path to contention just because the quarterback steps on the field.

Cap/cuts outlook

The Patriots have $39 million in effective salary cap space, perOver The Cap,the ninth-most in the league. New England could clear about $8 million more with the release of Anfernee Jennings and Mack Hollins. Mike Onwenu is in the final year of his contract and an extension would lower the $25 million cap hit he's slated to have next season. The Patriots have all of that cap space while still having 50 players currently under contract for 2026 — the top 51 count against the cap in the offseason.

Key pending free agents

LB K'Lavon ChaissonDT Khyiris TongaS Jaylinn HawkinsTE Austin Hooper

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Chaisson had a career resurgence in his one year with New England. He ranked 26th in pressure rate while he set career highs in pressures, hits and sacks. The Patriots were a better run defense when Tonga was on the field, sporting a rushing success rate that would have been in the top 10 for a full season. The 335-pound lineman also added a career high 14 pressures. Hawkins spent most of his time playing deep and came down into the box on 24% of his defensive snaps. He was tied for 18th among safeties in pass defeats, per FTN.

Positional needs

EdgeLinebackerSafety

The Patriots were 12th in pressure rate but often relied on the interior players to break through. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams combined for 37.9% of New England's pressures. Another 44.9% came from Chaisson and Harold Landry. If Chaisson leaves, just Landry remains. Even if Chaisson is re-signed, that doesn't leave a lot of depth behind them.

The Patriots had linebackers who could tackle, but they did not have ones who could cover. New England's top two linebackers ranked 55th and 65th in yards allowed per coverage snap at the position, among 96 qualified linebackers.

With Hawkins a free agent, the Patriots are left with 2025 fourth-round draft pick Craig Woodson and 2024 UDFA Dell Pettus at safety.

2026 NFL Draft picks

1st round, pick No. 312nd round3rd round4th round (CHI)4th round5th round6th round (KC)6th round (PIT)6th round (SF)6th round7th round

Good draft fit

CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

Allen can be the leader of the Patriots' defense for the next decade. He's good in coverage, good against the run, tackles well, can play inside and outside the box, and has just enough pass rush potential to be refined by Mike Vrabel and his staff.

Betting nugget

An easy schedule – ranked the third-easiest since 1978 by FTN Fantasy – meant New England was favored a lot this season. The Patriots thrived in that role, going 7-3-1 against the spread in the regular season. —Ben Fawkes

U.S. District Judge William Osteen rejected arguments by the College Democrats of North Carolina and some students that they were likely to win a recent lawsuit because decisions by GOP board members placed undue burdens on the right to vote.

The decision by Osteen — nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush — to deny a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order can be appealed.

Early in-person voting for the March 3 primary begins this coming Thursday. It features nomination races for U.S. Senate and House, the legislature and local elections.

Osteen also wrote that formally backing efforts to open the sites so close to voting could risk confusion.

Osteen's ruling marks a key decision on policy preferences by the State Board of Elections and elections boards in all 100 countiessince a state lawrecently shifted themfrom having Democratic majorities to Republican majorities.

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The College Democrats of North Carolina — an arm of the state party — and four voters sued in late January accusing the state board and boards in Jackson and Guilford counties of violating the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit involves votes by the state board and the two county boards to not include early voting sites at Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University, also in Greensboro. A&T is the largest historically Black university in the country.

An early voting site at Western Carolina has operated regularly since 2016. Sites at the Greensboro campuses have been offered in recent presidential-year elections but not in midterm elections.

Voting sites are offered at college campuses elsewhere in the state. Same-day registration is available at early voting sites.

Without the sites, the lawsuit says, students will be forced to travel off-campus to vote, imposing time and money upon those least familiar with voting.

Lawyers for the boards defended the panels' actions, writing in legal briefs that there is no requirement boards must retain voting sites used in previous election cycles, and that site decisions were based on reasonable circumstances like parking access and past turnout.

The child, identified in the lawsuit as "Amalia," was released by immigration authorities underPresident Donald Trump's administrationafter her parents sued on Friday, Feb. 6. The parents, who also had been detained, were released as well. The suit had sought the release of all three of them.

The family was detained during a check-in with immigration authorities on Dec. 11 and held at a facility in Dilley, Texas, according to the lawsuit. Amalia was hospitalized from Jan. 18 to 28, and returned to the Dilley facility in the midst of ameasles outbreak, the lawsuit said.

After the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents (ICE), communities across the U.S. are protesting against Trump's surge of immigration enforcement actions.

Pictured here, Demonstrators gather for a protest calling for the removal of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Protests were held across the United States in response to ICE enforcement activity.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hundreds of people gather to protest ICE at the corner of Palafox and Garden Streets in downtown Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 30, 2026.

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'ICE Out' protests spark marches, confrontations across US

After the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents (ICE), communities across the U.S. areprotestingagainst Trump's surge of immigration enforcement actions.Pictured here, Demonstrators gather for a protest calling for the removal of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Protests were held across the United States in response to ICE enforcement activity.

"Baby Amalia should never have been detained. She nearly died at Dilley," said Elora Mukherjee, an attorney for the family.

Mukherjee said hundreds of children and families detained at Dilley lack sufficient drinking water, healthy food, educational opportunities or proper medical care, and should be released.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on Saturday, Feb. 7. USA TODAY has reached out to the DHS for comment.

NBC Newsfirst reported on the lawsuit.

Sick children, no doctors:Life for immigrant families in detention

Lawsuit says child was hospitalized with respiratory issues

Amalia's parents, originally from Venezuela, have lived in the United States since 2024 with their daughter, who is a Mexican citizen, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says all three intend to file asylum applications in the United States.

Amalia developed a fever on Jan. 1 that reached 104 degrees, started vomiting frequently and struggled to breathe, the lawsuit states.

She was taken to the hospital on Jan. 18 with extremely low oxygen saturation levels and diagnosed with COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, viral bronchitis and pneumonia, according to the lawsuit. She was placed on supplemental oxygen.

Amalia was given a nebulizer and a respiratory medication upon her discharge from the hospital, but these were taken away by detention center staff upon her return, the lawsuit states. The girl has lost 10% of her body weight and was given nutritional drinks to help her regain it, but these were also confiscated by authorities, according to the lawsuit.

ICE says it provides 'proper meals.'Detainees see crystalized jelly, rancid beans and iced bologna

Trump administration faces scrutiny over immigration tactics

Trump's administration has been accused ofheavy-handed and inhumane tacticsas well asviolating court orderswhile carrying out hismass deportation program.

A federal judge in Michigan criticized the administration in a Jan. 31 ruling ordering the release of a 5-year-old boy − seen in a viral photo wearing a blue bunny hat outside his house as federal agents stood nearby − who was detained by immigration agents in Minnesota. The administration is nowseeking to deportthe boy.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Will Dunham)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Toddler returned to ICE custody and denied medication, lawsuit says