Sam Darnold’s Journey to the Super Bowl

The Seattle Seahawks are now Sam Darnold’s fifth NFL team since he entered the league in 2018, and he’s on a mission to make it to the Super Bowl in 2026. On Sunday, January 25, Darnold will be looking to lead his team to victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Conference Championship. The winner of that game will earn a spot in the big game on February 8.

Darnold has a strong support system behind him, and one of his most important supporters is his fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle. She has been cheering him on throughout the season and even before that, since 2023.

In a March 2025 interview with Us Weekly, Darnold expressed his gratitude for Hoofnagle’s support, saying, “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.” He also added, “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 Katie Hoofnagle?

Per her LinkedIn profile, Hoofnagle works as a marketing specialist at Renvio, a company that serves dialysis partners on their entire journey to deliver optimal care. Renvio specializes in software for dialysis machines that assist patients with kidney issues. She started working remotely in 2024 as an account executive before taking on her current role in July 2025.

Before joining Renvio, Hoofnagle worked at Loan Pronto in Charlotte, North Carolina, for nearly four years. She began as a loan officer assistant in August 2020, then became an account manager, and eventually a mortgage loan officer.

Hoofnagle graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, along with a minor in nutrition and food services. She was also part of the club soccer team during her college years.

When Will Sam Darnold and Katie Hoofnagle Tie the Knot?

No matter if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl or not, Darnold and Hoofnagle have a lot to celebrate in 2026. Their wedding is scheduled for April 3, according to an online wedding registry. The couple’s engagement will be less than a year, as Darnold proposed in July 2025. They announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post with the caption, “YES!!!!!”

How Did Sam Darnold and Katie Hoofnagle Meet?

It’s not entirely clear how Darnold and Hoofnagle met. According to her LinkedIn, Hoofnagle lived and worked in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2020 to 2024. Darnold played for the Carolina Panthers from 2021 to 2022, so it’s possible they crossed paths during those years.

They went public with their relationship on Instagram in June 2023, suggesting they may have met during Darnold’s time in North Carolina. However, Sports Illustrated reported that they met after Darnold was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in March 2023, as Hoofnagle is from the Bay Area and grew up there.

In a LinkedIn post, Hoofnagle explained why she chose to move to Charlotte after college instead of returning to northern California: “I knew for me, going home to CA wasn’t going to provide me the personal growth that I needed. At the end of the day, there’s more to life than just my career and I knew I needed to dig my roots somewhere new.”

Super Bowl LX

The Super Bowl LX will take place on Sunday, February 8, at 6:30/5:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Fans can tune in to watch the final showdown between the top teams in the league.