Sam Darnold is the newest $100 million man in the NFL, and he’s giving credit to those who deserve it. One of them is his girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle, whom he credited as a stabilizing force through the highs and lows of his career.
Sam Darnold Praises His ‘Unbelievable’ Girlfriend
Darnold made just one start in the 2023 season, completing 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. However, he had a resurgent year with the Minnesota Vikings last season, posting a career-best 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions — numbers that eventually earned him a big-money deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Darnold remains humble and excited to move to Seattle. He recently played in a charity flag football game for kids fighting cancer, where he spoke with “Us Weekly” and called Hoofnagle his biggest supporter.
“The support [from] my girlfriend is unbelievable. 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.”
First look at Sam Darnold as a Seahawk. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/8iOTRW4P5Z
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 13, 2025
“She’s great. She’s always been my biggest supporter. And I love her, and I thank her for that all the time.”
Who Is Sam Darnold’s Girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle?
Hoofnagle, a former soccer player at the University of South Carolina, has been dating Darnold since 2023, graduating with a degree in business. Whether by coincidence or not, his career has taken a big leap since then.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she currently serves as an account executive at Renvio, a company that “transforms dialysis clinics by streamlining how they operate, according to their webiste.
The two started dating while Darnold was playing in San Francisco. She congratulated him on Instagram when he signed with Minnesota, saying, “Here’s to the next chapter – SKOL.”
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Now, with Darnold headed to Seattle, the two are on their way to their third city (and third state) in as many years, marking the challenges that playing in the NFL presents, especially as a journeyman athlete as Darnold became in recent seasons. With a multi-year deal under his belt, there is a chance for stability again for Darnold and Hoofnagle.
Darnold Addresses Challenges of a Journeyman QB
Darnold was the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. The former USC standout went 13-25 in three seasons, throwing 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions while posting a 78.6 passer rating. His QBR declined each year.
Before the 2021 season, the Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers, where he played two seasons and was teammates with Baker Mayfield — another highly drafted quarterback who struggled with his first team before finding success. Darnold went 8-9 in Carolina, throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions. However, his 2022 numbers were significantly better than in the previous season.
In 2023, Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers as Brock Purdy’s backup before landing in Minnesota for the 2024 season. The 27-year-old admitted that moving from city to city was tough, but he is excited to head to Seattle and hopefully complete his three-year contract, which is worth up to $100.5 million.
“Whenever we are on a one-year deal, like, yeah, it’s great. I understand playing in the NFL is awesome and I love every second of it. But when you have those one-year deals… and when you factor that into trying to move and find your way into all these cities, it can be tough.”
“I’m at the point where I just want to get there,” Darnold told “Us Weekly.”
“I want to get there for OTAs [Organized Team Activities] and spend a bunch of time with my coaches and my teammates.”
Darnold is replacing Geno Smith in Seattle, and the Seahawks have worked to bolster his supporting cast for the 2025 season. They added DeMarcus Lawrence and Cooper Kupp this offseason and will add even more firepower in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving Darnold a strong chance to build on his breakout season.