Kicker, punter come up big for Seahawks in a Super Bowl devoid of early touchdowns

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — During a defensive struggle in the first half, the Seattle Seahawks got the consistency and cushion they needed — from their kicker.

Jason Myers connected on a Super Bowl-record five field goals, scoring the first 12 points of the game to help the Seahawks pull away for a 29-13 Super Bowl 60 victory on Sunday.

Myers connected on kicks of 33, 39, two from 41 and 26 yards. His 17 total points on five field goals and two extra points were also the most by a kicker in Super Bowl history.

“He’s elite,” holder and punter Michael Dickson said. “The attention that goes into the detail with him, it’s really cool to see, and it pays off. And he’s cool to be around. ... He’s got that mentality, and it’s really cool to share this experience with him.”

The 34-year-old Myers, in his 11th NFL season and seventh with Seattle, became the first player to score 200 points in a season, playoffs included. He finished with 206 points, breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's record of 198 set in 2006.

Dickson said there should have at least been some discussion about Myers winning the Super Bowl MVP award, a honor that has never been bestowed upon a kicker. Running back Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 135 yards and added 26 receiving, was selected the game's MVP.

“We need multiple MVPs because K9, he went off," Dickson said of Walker. "He’s incredible.”

The 30-year-old, Australian-born Dickson also helped put the Seahawks' defense in an advantageous position, dropping three punts inside the 6-yard line.

With Seattle hanging on to a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter, Dickson had a 55-yard punt that was downed at the Patriots 4. New England's final drive of the game started at its 6 when Dickson booted a 52-yarder that went out of bounds.

“I mean, this week was no different to any other week in the year," said Dickson, in his eighth NFL season with the Seahawks. "So, you know, I always want to give my defense the best field position, and it’s cool, you know, hitting it inside a few times, and getting the boys around me was special.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Seattle Seahawks' Michael Dickson (4) and place-kicker Jason Myers (5) celebrate Myers' field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Seattle Seahawks placekicker Jason Myers, top right, scores on a field goal against the New England Patriots in the second quarter of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers makes a 26-yard field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) celebrates with fullback Brady Russell (38) after making a field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Seattle Seahawks place-kicker Jason Myers, right, makes a field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2026--

Unilever today unveiled plans to develop a new Global Innovation Center in New Haven, Connecticut, opening by spring 2029. The center will be a leading hub for the company’s research and development for its personal care, beauty and wellbeing businesses in the U.S. and globally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260528022339/en/

The center further propels Unilever’s growth strategy in the U.S. market, raising the bar for research and development in the consumer goods industry and powering the company’s portfolio of innovative and desirable brands. Centrally located in one of the world’s fastest-growing biosciences innovation clusters, the digital-first and AI-powered center will deliver deeper insights to fuel Unilever’s ambition of reshaping product categories. The center will advance how Unilever’s teams of scientists and experts push the boundaries of the fundamental differentiators that make the company’s brands distinct and products desirable: superior science, aesthetics and sensorials.

The center brings together a new and differentiated combination of assets and capabilities that will accelerate breakthroughs and enable Unilever’s brands to bring the next generation of market-making beauty, wellbeing and personal care products to people faster:

The center advances Unilever's strategy to become a sharper, focused personal care, beauty and wellbeing company, built upon shared capabilities across science-led innovation, demand creation and operational execution. Unilever will invest $270 million in the project over the long term, including $50 million in capital expenditure. Total combined investment of public and private funds in the center will exceed $300 million. This investment builds on nearly $15 billion invested in Unilever’s U.S. business over the past decade, across both acquisitions and capital projects.

Approximately 300 employees will work at the center. It will succeed Unilever's existing R&D facility in Trumbull, Connecticut, which has operated since 1972, marking the next chapter of Unilever's long partnership with the State of Connecticut and its scientific community.

Herrish Patel, President of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care North America, said:

“New Haven gets us to the future faster. Our Global Innovation Center is where we'll innovate at the intersection of science, technology and culture — for the U.S. and for the world. We will build on our deep heritage of innovation to develop the next generation of brands and products that people love. As part of Unilever’s global network of innovation hubs, the center will connect closely with our other leading locations worldwide, sharing technology, insights, and breakthrough ideas to accelerate innovation at scale. As the U.S. becomes a center of gravity for Unilever, we’re harnessing the best of American innovation to match our growth ambition here in the U.S. and around the world.”

Specific capabilities to be housed at the center include:

Richard Slater, Unilever Chief Research & Development Officer, said:

“Behind every Unilever product is world-leading science that delivers superior performance, combined with design, fragrance and sensory experiences that make our brands distinctive. Our new Global Innovation Center will bring these capabilities together to develop new, category-defining innovations in the U.S., and scale globally. The real shift here is integration and speed: science, design and sensorials working as one, with AI and partnerships accelerating every stage of innovation.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said:

“Unilever’s decision to make this investment in New Haven reaffirms Connecticut’s global reputation as a leader in innovation, research and development, and discovery. This innovation center will serve as an important foundational piece for this burgeoning hub that will not only strengthen New Haven’s existing tech centers but will also boost our innovation ecosystem statewide. I am glad we have Unilever as a valued member of Connecticut’s growing business community, and I look forward to this company continuing to succeed here for many years to come.”

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.7 billion people every day. We have 96,000 employees and generated sales of €50.5 billion in 2025.

Our leading brands in the U.S. include Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula’s Choice, and Dermalogica.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

Rendering of Unilever's future Global Innovation Center in New Haven, opening in spring 2029.