Inner Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold’s Touchdown Romance With Fiancée Katie Hoofnagle
Months sooner than Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led his team to the 2026 Huge Bowl, he proposed to his fiancée Katie Hoofnagle, who he talked about makes all of it “useful.”
Sam Darnold has been a success all season—each on and off the sphere.
While the Seattle Seahawks quarterback has been supported by teammates adore Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp on his hotfoot to the 2026 Huge Bowl, primarily the most cherished member of his squad has received to be his fiancée Katie Hoofnagle.
“She does plenty for me and he or she keeps me mute,” Sam talked about right thru a Feb. 2 press convention. “She reminds me of why I discontinuance what I discontinuance, why I am going to work each day.”
The 28-12 months-outdated—who will face off towards Drake Maye and the Fresh England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.—added, “Most frequently the season can safe long, but she makes it the full [more] useful.”
Indeed, Katie and Sam had been thru what he described as “plenty together in the outdated few years,” including his switch from the Minnesota Vikings to Seattle closing 12 months. But sooner than starting his first season with the Seahawks in August, he made sure to lock in a teammate for lifestyles, popping the query to Katie in a beachside proposal in July.
Years sooner than she agreed to perpetually with an emphatic “YES!!!!!,” the pair—each from separate cities in California—crossed paths in North Carolina, where Sam played for the Carolina Panthers from 2021 to 2023 and Katie worked in finance, primarily based totally on her LinkedIn.
And since going Instagram authentic in June 2023, the quarterback has praised his now-fiancée—who played faculty soccer on the College of South Carolina—as a priceless member of his squad.
“The reinforce [from] my girlfriend is unprecedented,” Sam told Us Weekly in March. “The actual fact that she at ease understands it. She's a outdated athlete herself, and at ease gets extra or less the grind of the entire lot. After I at ease have to kick back, she's very up for that, in particular right thru the season.”
He added, “She’s big. She’s continuously been my greatest supporter. And I delight in her, and I thank her for that every individual the time.”
As for Katie’s thoughts on the football phenom? Properly, he’s her “favorite individual,” in spite of the entire lot.
“You illuminate every room with your authenticity, witty sense of humor, and kind coronary heart,” she wrote in a June 2024 birthday put up on Instagram. “You’re thoughtful, intentional, and love the runt issues in lifestyles.”
Katie concluded, “To know you is to adore you!”
Certainly, Katie isn’t primarily one of the most practical WAG supporting her football star. Learn on to be taught extra about the delight in lives of a quantity of NFL quarterbacks.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
After 12 seasons main the Lions' offense, the team swapped quarterbacks with the Rams in 2021, meaning longtime Bloomfield Hills, Mich., residents Matthew Stafford and Kelly Stafford had been off to L.A.—where he promptly received a Huge Bowl in his first season along side his unique team.
And it modified into out he had a secret weapon in the pocket with him: Yes, it became his companion's unflagging reinforce.
Kelly shared on TODAY after the Rams' catch that she wrote her husband letters sooner than every game main as a lot as the tall one in February 2022. “It became at ease how a lot I thought he the truth is deserved this, and why I thought he deserved it,” she talked about. “The very most practical thing on the tip of the day is that we all have every a quantity of.”
Married since April 4, 2015, the Staffords are fogeys of four daughters: twins Chandler and Sawyer (born March 31, 2017), Hunter Hope (Aug. 16, 2018) and Tyler Hall (June 28, 2020).
Drake Maye, Fresh England Patriots
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft came to Foxborough, Mass., ready to originate on the sphere, however the 23-12 months-outdated hasn't played the field presumably ever, having been in a relationship with fellow North Carolina Tar Heel Ann Michael Hudson for added than a decade.
“9 years with you and it keeps getting better day to day,” Ann wrote Oct. 30, 2024, on Instagram. “I couldn’t remember my lifestyles with out you as my simplest friend. I delight in you additional than you know!”
After wrapping up his rookie NFL season, Drake popped the query, captioning their Jan. 15, 2025, engagement announcement, “Indulge in doing lifestyles with you. Can't wait to marry you!”
The endgame sweethearts tied the knot in June 2025.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
College of South Carolina alum Katie Hoofnagle's Instagram bio boasts stops in North Carolina, Minnesota and Washington, reflecting her hang street as the companion of a journeyman quarterback.
Sooner than joining the Seahawks, Sam popped the query in his draw of delivery of Dana Point, Calif., in July 2025.
Celebrating his birthday a month sooner than their engagement, Katie wrote on Instagram, “Amidst the chaos of our day to day lives, each day spent with you is stuffed with an abundance of peace, laughter, presence, pleasure, and delight in. Here’s to 1 other outing across the solar sharing factual meals, factual music, and factual company. Utterly overjoyed twenty eighth birthday to my companion, I delight in you additional.”
Josh Allen, Buffalo Funds
If Hailee Steinfeld likes a man with at ease grit, she would possibly presumably've performed worse than marrying the Funds' four-time Official Bowl choice.
After extra than a 12 months of unostentatious dating, Josh's first appearance on Hailee's Instagram featured the athlete taking a knee for a waterfront proposal.
They tied the knot in California on Would perchance perhaps well 31, 2025.
“She makes the entire lot more uncomplicated, so I don't the truth is focal point on the a quantity of stuff,” Josh told journalists in June. “That became the greatest decision I'll fabricate in my lifestyles—and I made the right kind one.”
The couple announced Hailee's being pregnant with their first baby together in December 2025.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo had already met his teammate for lifestyles, Auburn cheerleader Izzy Smoke, by the purpose he transferred to Oregon after three seasons of enjoying for the Tigers.
He proposed in August 2021 sooner than his first of two years with the Geese. Izzy graduated in 2022 and the couple married that July.
The now Denver-primarily based mostly pair revealed in October 2025 that they're watching for their first baby together.
Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos
Jarrett backed up Bo Nix right thru the 2025-26 season, simplest to be named the AFC Championship Sport starter after the Broncos' starting quarterback suffered an ankle fracture on the tip of their division round catch.
Backing up Jarrett right thru the season—and since they met as students at Baylor—became his companion Kennedy Stidham (née Brown).
They tied the knot in 2019 and have three childhood together, welcoming their youngest in October 2025.
“My rock thru season,” Jarrett captioned a pic of them, Kennedy carrying a No. 8 sweater in honor of her favorite player.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
“I became now now not ready for this,” Brittany Mahomes told CBS Info in July 2023 of the whirlwind of accolades and excitement that came with falling for QB1 at Whitehouse Excessive College in their native Texas. “And at this sort of younger age. We had been in delight in and I loved him with all of my coronary heart. But, you know, I didn't count on it to skyrocket this quickly, and us extra or less at ease being thrown into the fireplace adore this.”
Patrick proposed at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 1, 2020, the day the Chiefs had been equipped with their Huge Bowl LIV rings, and they tied the knot March 12, 2022.
The athlete told CBS that being dad to daughter Sterling Skye, born Feb. 20, 2021, and Patrick “Bronze” Lavone Mahomes III, born Nov. 28, 2022, gave him “a critically better belief of being most traditional and enjoying” the game of football.
“When my childhood develop up,” he outlined, “I wished them to peer that dad wasn't at ease long previous at ease to be long previous. I became long previous doing one thing, to present, to be big. And so, every time they change into outdated, they are able to stumble on how arduous I worked.”
Brittany gave delivery to daughter Golden Raye on Jan. 12, 2025, her name one other nod to treasured metal sooner than the Chiefs' Tenth straight outing to the postseason.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
After excessive-profile romances with Olivia Munn, Danica Patrick and Shailene Woodley, Rodgers received married a pair months sooner than signing a one-12 months contend with the Steelers and—though he talked about dating a Brittani in December 2024—has by no manner publicly acknowledged his companion since confirming he became carrying a marriage ring at a team minicamp in June 2025.
But he did voice he had “primarily the most not seemingly companion,” telling Sports actions Illustrated, “I at ease the truth is delight in her and I’m so grateful to have her by my side on the tip. Need to you have that stability and that rock in the serve of you on the dwelling, you in actuality feel adore you would possibly want to to presumably discontinuance anything else.”
The onetime Huge Bowl winner with the Packers outlined, “Need to you meet the right kind one, and likewise you’re with the right kind one, your world changes in a 2d. To have that one that loves you unconditionally in the serve of the scenes, there’s no better feeling in the field.”
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert and Madison Beer had been first seen placing out in August 2025, and shortly ample they had been taking a peer cozy courtside on the Lakers and at a World Assortment game in October.
They capped off the month with sailor-themed couple's costumes for Halloween.
While sightings diminished as the season went on, Herbert has still been liking the singer's Instagram posts into January 2026, so we'll stumble on what the off-season brings.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
The low-key Lion married model Christen Harper on June 22, 2024, on the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, Calif.
“I swore that he messaged me first,” Christen—Sports actions Illustrated Swimsuit's co-Rookie of the 12 months in 2022 and a celeb of the receive sequence Ladies of the League—told Fox Info Digital in 2023 of assembly her future husband on the dating app Raya in 2018. “But after we went and regarded serve, I in actuality sent the first message. So all you ladies folks in the market, you better send the first message due to you by no manner know—you gotta shoot your shot.”
While the co-founder of the wellness app Planted is a eternal fixture on the sidelines rooting for No. 16, Christen known as Jared “at ease primarily one of the most practical cheerleader” when it came to her targets as well.
“It's so fun due to I safe to cheer him on for his football season,” she talked about. “But he’s the quantity one supporter, the quantity one person that's at ease in my court docket.”
They've since added to their cheering share, welcoming daughter Romy Isabelle Goff in July 2025.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
No longer one to flout his relationship on social media, Jalen confirmed to Essence in 2023 that he became “spoken for,” and the woman doing the speaking became IT specialist Bryonna “Bry” Burrows.
They dated at College of Alabama, sooner than Jalen carried out his faculty profession at Oklahoma and became drafted in 2020, but “I knew a truly long time ago,” he talked about about their future together. “I suggest, to this point in my lifestyles, that’s an irreplaceable feeling. I judge that's what allowed us to safe to where we for the time being are.”
Essence subsequently received the news on their engagement in September 2024 and Bry became Jalen's companion by the purpose Men's Health published an April 22 duvet yarn on the 2025 Huge Bowl winner.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
The 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL draft became by no manner Mr. Beside the purpose to Jenna Brandt.
And whereas the 49ers have one other sort of bauble in thoughts, Brock popped the query in July 2023 and the couple married in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 9, 2024.
On July 28, 2025, the couple jointly shared, “Existence at ease modified into loads of sweeter,” as they announced the arrival of daughter Millie Joleen Purdy.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker's football fortunes had been in each draw for a pair of years sooner than the Bucs took of mission in 2023 and ended up in the playoffs. But right thru the hotfoot, Emily Wilkinson Mayfield has been along for the streak
Baker, a Heisman winner with the College of Oklahoma, met Emily in 2017 and proposed six months later, so she's been there for the total u.s.a.and downs since he went No. 1 in the 2018 NFL draft to the Browns.
And the fairer half of the Baker & Emily Mayfield Basis is surely in it for the long haul.
“Utterly overjoyed 4 12 months anniversary to my sweet husband,” Emily posted to Instagram on July 10, 2024. “These outdated few years we have now grown in so many ways, and I am SO at ease with where we’re in our marriage.”
And certainly it became pretty the rebuilding 12 months: The couple welcomed daughter Kova Jade Mayfield on April 9, 2024, and announced in November 2025 that baby No. 2 is due in April 2026.
Jordan Indulge in, Inexperienced Bay Packers
Ronika Stone, a skilled volleyball player and daughter of retired Huge Bowl champ Ron Stone, rocks Packers merch with pride. And when she and her future mom-in-law Anna Indulge in weren't precisely given the VIP therapy at Arrowhead Stadium right thru an away game towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs game in 2021, she handled it with grace and humor.
“I continuously wished to be on sportscenter…thought it'd be for volleyball tho,” Ronika posted to Instagram after a pic of she and Jordan's mom sitting in the nosebleeds went viral.
Shimmering a streak or die when he sees one, Indulge in popped the query whereas they had been in Italy in June 2024.
“First step to perpetually,” they posted on Instagram June 23. They tied the knot a 12 months later.
The couple topped that news with their Jan. 1, 2026, announcement that Ronika became pregnant with their first baby together.
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
The sudden savior of the Cleveland Browns' 2023-24 playoff potentialities became Huge Bowl winner (with the Ravens) Joe Flacco, who became busy enjoying quit-at-dwelling dad to his five childhood with companion Dana Grady Flacco when he received the name.
“Joe's now now not one to take a seat down still,” Dana told Cleveland.com sooner than the playoffs in 2024. “He became continuously adore, 'What can I discontinuance? I’m at ease going to safe you a coffee.' I judge I had adore seven coffees a day.”
The couple, together since senior 12 months at Audubon Excessive College in Fresh Jersey, married on June 25, 2011. They welcomed Stephen in June 2012, Daniel in September 2013, Francis in January 2015, Evelyn in September 2016 and Thomas in April 2018.
“It’s positively modified how I bid time in the off-season,” Joe talked about in a Ravens promo video. “Me and my companion peer at every a quantity of and sweetness what we did sooner than we had them, due to you’re at ease wrapped up in these guys.”
No longer ready to hang up his helmet at ease yet, Joe signed a one-12 months contend with the Colts to serve up 2d-12 months QB Anthony Richardson in 2024 after which agreed to 1 other season with the Browns for $4 million in 2025 sooner than being traded to the Bengals five weeks into the season.
Russell Wilson, Fresh York Giants
“He and I part the identical vision for our babies, which I judge makes the field of a distinction, that we’re on the identical net page,” Ciara, who married Russ in 2016, told Sports actions Illustrated in 2022. “It’s indispensable that our childhood—you know, they have blueprint extra safe entry to than we had rising up—so we must in any appreciate times fabricate skedaddle that we abet them humble in the formula to manufacture skedaddle that they discontinuance issues adore having to safe after themselves and shimmering that lifestyles isn’t going to be handed to you.”
Russ joined the Broncos in 2022 after 10 seasons in Seattle and received a brand unique team member off the sphere as well: Daughter Amora Princess Wilson became born in December 2023, joining Future Zahir (Ciara's son with rapper Future, born Would perchance perhaps well 2019), daughter Sienna (April 2017), and son Ranking (July 2020), in the family lineup.
After two lackluster seasons in Denver, he became in comeback-player-of-the-12 months kind with the Steelers. But moreover they received outdated Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields in 2024, so Russ moved on to mark a one-12 months contend with the Fresh York Giants in 2025.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
The team's quarterback first sparked romance rumors with Sarah Jane Ramos in September 2023 when she shared photos of herself watching a Cowboys game along side his sister-in-law Holly Prescott.
In November 2023, Sarah and Dak announced on Instagram that they had been watching for their first baby.
Margaret Jane Rose Prescott became born Feb. 22, 2024, and Dak ran it in for the game winner in October.
“Mine With out halt!!!!” he captioned his Oct. 18 proposal pic. “The Simplest Perfect friend, Partner, Teammate, Mom, and Now Fiancé I would possibly presumably Quiz or Pray for! Thank you God for this Blessing and Family! I Indulge in you.”
The couple welcomed their 2d daughter, Aurora Rayne, on Would perchance perhaps well 22, 2025.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Obvious, offensive traces are big, but it no doubt's Julie Hampton Cousins who the truth is has Kirk's serve.
The elemental college teacher, who married Kirk in 2014, “prospers in the work of supporting” her husband, she told Folks. “I delight in net net hosting of us for games, cooking and planning snacks and meals. I also abilities organizing every sort of stuff for Kirk off the sphere, adore his bodywork, making skedaddle we all safe factual sleep and that we're entering quality time with our boys. It's a truly unprecedented job, but I'm very cosy to be in it.”
And whereas Kirk, 37, is nearer to the tip of his profession than the origin, he received to meet his dream to play when sons Cooper (born Sept. 29, 2017) and Turner (March 10, 2019) would possibly presumably “the truth is endure in thoughts it and have to still have loved being a share of it.”
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Marissa Lawrence has been cheering her husband on since their Cartersville Excessive College days in Georgia—and their photo album contains memories of each milestone, from their senior amble to their April 10, 2021, marriage ceremony day to Trevor going No. 1 to the Jaguars at ease weeks later and plenty tropical vacations since.
“Each 12 months gets sweeter with you @marissa_lawrence,” Trevor wrote on their anniversary in 2023. “2 years down already and we’ve made so many memories and experienced plenty together. Enraged for the full years yet to reach serve. I delight in you additional than you know.”
And he wasn't kidding about the progressively sweeter years: The couple revealed in June 2024 that “a runt of Lawrence” became on the vogue and daughter Shae Lynn Lawrence arrived Jan. 4, 2025.
Kenny Pickett, Las Vegas Raiders
The most easy quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft reported for Steelers' coaching camp in 2023 a married man, swapping vows with outdated Princeton soccer player Amy Paternoster on June 24.
The couple, who started dating in 2021, honeymooned in Puerto Rico.
On Amy's twenty 2d birthday Feb. 13, 2023, Kenny posted to Instagram, “Extremely grateful for you each day and spending the comfort of my lifestyles with you would possibly want to to presumably be the easiest honor I would possibly presumably search recordsdata from for.”
They loved their first marriage ceremony anniversary vacationing in Napa, Calif., sooner than Kenny reported for responsibility with the Philadelphia Eagles to serve up Jalen Hurts.
After sharing in the Eagles' 2025 Huge Bowl catch, Kenny became traded to the Browns, but ended up on the Raiders' roster sooner than the 2025-26 season began.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
After his fifth-12 months option became picked up by the Dolphins in March 2023, Tua admitted to journalists that he considered retiring after his injure-marred 2022 season.
And now now not least due to he had so many not seemingly issues to quit dwelling for.
“By no manner one to set aside my deepest lifestyles in the market. But this one deserved a put up,” Tua wrote on July 17, 2023, sharing a one-time-simplest snap of his delight in Annah Tagovailoa. “Utterly overjoyed 1 12 months Anniversary to my gorgeous companion. I delight in you.”
In a rare watch into his off-field world, Tua told journalists in November 2022 that he became thankful for his companion and unique baby (son Ace, born in August 2022, made his public debut on the Tua Basis luau revenue the next April).
“It's very unprecedented how having a baby impacts how you stumble on issues in a completely different blueprint in lifestyles. It’s adore nothing that I’ve experienced,” Tua talked about. “There’s no playbook for this due to everybody’s abilities is a quantity of, whether or now now not you’re having a boy first or a girl.”
That being talked about, he added, “I thank my fascinating Father up above that I received a boy first. Oh, man. I don’t know what I’d discontinuance if I had a girl. It'd be a runt of tougher, I judge, due to I wouldn’t know what to discontinuance necessarily.”
Tua and Anna have since welcomed daughter Maisey.
Source credit : eonline.com
