Seahawks’ Sam Darnold and Wife Katie Reflect on Blockbuster Year, Marriage, Super Bowl
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had a big offseason. As if winning the Super Bowl wasn’t enough, Darnold one-upped that achievement during the offseason by getting another ring and getting married to his girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle.
So, it’s hard to know which was a bigger moment: winning the Super Bowl after jumping from franchise to franchise for years or getting married.
When you ask Sam Darnold, he’ll tell you that one of those moments was clearly the best day of his life.
Sam Darnold Calls Wedding Day the Best Day of His Life
Speaking with the NFL in a video interview, Darnold was asked about his wedding day. He called it the “best day of my life.”
“It was just a special day to be able to spend with our loved ones, and for everyone to be in the same place at one time,” Darnold added. “You know, I don’t know if you’ll get another chance in your life to have that moment. So, just incredible. Incredible day, incredible night. I was so happy to have everyone, like I said, that we love there.”
The wedding guest list was filled with big names, especially those from the NFL world.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his wife, Hailee Steinfeld, attended. The event was actually their first outing since having their baby daughter, Harper.
Steinfeld even interviewed Hoofangle about the wedding day and shared some wonderful wedding photos via Steinfeld’s Beau Society substack.
Other guests included San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and his wife, Olivia Culpo, as well as Kyle Allen, Garrett Bradbury, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nick Mullens, Brian O’Neill, Christian Kirk, Cooper Kupp, Luke Kuechly, Drew Lock, Pat Elflein, Jordan Palmer, Josh McCown, Brett Rypien and Eric Saubert, among others.
Sam Darnold and Katie Hoofnagle Wanted a High-Energy Wedding
Speaking exclusively to People magazine, Sam and Katie described their wedding as fun and high-energy. “We wanted our guests to dance the night away, and from the second they entered [the reception] we had our band playing to set the energy and it never stopped,” they said.
There’s something especially sweet about Darnold and Hoofnagle getting married right after he reached the pinnacle of his football career by winning a Super Bowl. What a way to begin a new chapter together, with one of the biggest moments of his professional life leading straight into one of the most meaningful moments of their personal lives.
Darnold and Hoofnagle met at a bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a mutual friend introduced them. He proposed in Dana Point, California, on July 5, 2025, and now they’re married just after his Super Bowl win.
It’s a sweet way to start their next chapter together.
