Who Is Sam Darnold’s Fiancée? Everything To Know About the Seahawks QB’s Partner, Katie Hoofnagle
Sam Darnold began a new chapter in his career this year with the Seattle Seahawks, coming off a career-best season with the Vikings in 2024. But the quarterback’s big moves haven’t been limited to the field. Shortly after signing his $100.5 million contract, Darnold proposed to his partner, Katie Hoofnagle, and the couple is now due to get married.
Beyond the spotlight of football, Hoofnagle has captured attention in her own right. Here’s everything you need to know about her and the timeline of their relationship.
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Everything About Sam Darnold’s Girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle
Katie Hoofnagle is a University of South Carolina alumna, where she earned a degree in Marketing and Business Administration. She currently works as a Marketing Specialist at Renvio, a company specializing in tech solutions, and previously held a position as a Mortgage Loan Officer at Loan Pronto.
The couple reportedly began dating when Darnold was playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Their relationship seemingly became public on Darnold’s 26th birthday, when Hoofnagle shared a series of pictures of them together. “Your huge heart, goofy energy, and ability to quote every movie you’ve ever seen are unmatched. Happy 26th birthday, celebrating you is so easy,” read the caption.
She also congratulated him on signing with the Vikings last year, and whether by coincidence or not, his career has taken a notable leap since then, with Hoofnagle frequently spotted cheering him on in the stands.
Following his move to the Seahawks this offseason, Darnold decided it was time to lock down his partner for life. The couple got engaged in Dana Point, California, as shared in a joint Instagram post in early July. The carousel of photos showed them dancing, kissing, and embracing on the beach, marking the start of their next chapter together.
In a recent tribute post celebrating Darnold’s 28th birthday, Hoofnagle wrote, “Amidst the chaos of our everyday lives, every day spent with you is filled with an abundance of peace, laughter, presence, joy, and love.” She continued, “Here’s to another trip around the sun sharing good meals, good music, and good company. Happy 28th birthday to my better half, I love you more 🤍.”
Darnold has been equally appreciative of Hoofnagle and called her his biggest supporter.
“The support [from] my girlfriend is unbelievable,” he told US Weekly. “You know, the fact that she just understands it. She’s a former athlete herself and just gets kind of the grind of everything. When I just want to chill, she’s very up for that, especially during the season.”
Her unwavering encouragement not only helps Darnold navigate the demands of professional football but also strengthens the couple’s bond as they prepare for their future together.
Seahawks Players’ Fantasy Outlooks for Week 7
Here’s what PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote about the notable Seahawks’ players’ fantasy outlooks for the Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans:
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold is one of those QBs whose play works better for his NFL team than fantasy ones, but we did see some marrying of the two worlds last weekend against the Jags as he turned 16 completions into 295 yards and a pair of scores.
This was the fourth time in six weeks that he failed to complete more than 18 passes, and with just seven rush attempts this season, there’s essentially no room for error if you’re counting on him.
The Texans have dismantled QBs this season, but that’s as much a product of who they’ve played. I don’t think they are the ’85 Bears, but they are solid and have had an extra week to prepare for a passing attack that is pretty straightforward.
This is a tough week for the middle-tier QBs, so if you have to go this direction, I think you could do worse. The truly forward-thinking plan here might be for QB streamers to add and keep him this week.
Yes, the bye hits you in Week 8, but there are Arizona and Tennessee matchups in November, in addition to a game in Carolina when your fantasy league champion is being decided in Week 17.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The game just looks easy for some of the greats, and so far this season, that’s been the case for Smith-Njigba.
He’s scored in three of four games (in the one he didn’t, he provided the game-breaking play) and has 8+ grabs on four occasions. On Sunday, he was the only Seahawk with a catch on the first three drives (four for 56), and that somehow isn’t even what has impressed me most.
JSN averaged 10.0 yards per catch as a rookie and 11.3 last season. This year, he’s up to 16.6 thanks to a splash play every single week (36+ yard reception in all six games). He’s pacing to accomplish the rare feat of increasing his big-play profile without compromising his catch rate (75% catch).
At this point, even some regression wouldn’t remove Smith-Njigba from the top 10 at the position moving forward.
Cooper Kupp
Cooper Kupp had his longest catch of the season AND scored on a different play. He still didn’t finish the week as a top 20 performer at the position.
Sam Darnold is playing at a high level, and it’s because he’s comfortable giving Jaxon Smith-Njigba every chance to thrive. This team looks good, but they are doing it without a WR2 that is close to fantasy lineups, and I’m not sure that changes as the season wears on for the 32-year-old.
That’s now three times in six weeks in which Kupp has failed to earn more than three looks, and that’s not going to get it done. Kupp can be rostered, but he doesn’t need to be, and you’d have a real hard time selling me as a part of your flex conversation.
