Sam Darnold’s Fiancée Katie Keeps It Short After Seahawks Punch Super Bowl Ticket

Sam Darnold delivered the biggest game of his career when it mattered most. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns Sunday night, leading a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game and sending Seattle to Super Bowl LX.

While the box score told one story, the reaction from the stands told another. Darnold’s fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle, was in attendance and shared her response on Instagram shortly after the win. It was brief. It was loud. It matched the moment.

Sam Darnold’s 346-yard, 3-touchdown night ends Seattle’s wait and sets up Super Bowl LX showdown

Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions against the Rams. The performance capped a postseason run that flipped his career narrative again, this time on the sport’s biggest stage short of the Super Bowl.

Seattle signed Darnold ahead of the 2025 season, a move that carried skepticism at the time. He answered it across the year, finishing the regular season with 4,048 passing yards. Sunday’s win marked his second playoff victory this postseason and secured the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl berth with him under center.

After the game, Hoofnagle posted a short video from the stadium and added a two-word caption aimed directly at her fiancé. “LFG 14.”

Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson also weighed in, posting on X after the win. “Sam Darnold’s comeback story over the past 2 years has been one of the most inspirational things to watch! Cool seeing him overcome!!! Congrats bro. Hope you win it! �� Go Hawks,” Wilson wrote.

Seattle will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8. The game will be played in Santa Clara, Calif.

Katie Hoofnagle’s sideline moment, custom ‘14’ fit, and the relationship Seattle keeps seeing after wins

Hoofnagle didn’t keep a low profile Sunday night. She attended the NFC Championship Game in a custom black hoodie and faded blue denim pants, with Darnold’s jersey number “14” printed on the leg. She paired the look with white heels and a white purse, later sharing a mirror selfie on Instagram without a caption.

She also posted a video from the field after the game showing Darnold walking over to her on the sideline. The two shared a hug and a kiss in front of the home crowd at Lumen Field. Hoofnagle added three white heart emojis to the clip.

The moment fit a season-long trend. Hoofnagle has been a visible presence at Seahawks games throughout the year, often posting outfits tied to wins, including divisional-round celebrations earlier in the postseason.

Darnold proposed to Hoofnagle during the 2025 offseason in Dana Point, Calif. She later shared the engagement publicly after saying yes on the beach. The two met while Darnold was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Hoofnagle played college soccer at South Carolina, starting 67 games over four seasons.

Now, she will return to the Bay Area, where she’s from, for the Super Bowl. Darnold will go with her, one win away from a championship that few predicted when the season began.
Seattle waited. Darnold delivered. And the people closest to him didn’t need many words to say it mattered.


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