The Seattle Seahawks head into their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Arizona Cardinals fresh off their most dominant win of the season.
The Seahawks destroyed the New Orleans Saints 44-13 in Week 3, during which quarterback Sam Darnold completed 14-of-18 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating of 154.2 was close to a perfect 158.3.
Following his “near flawless” performance against New Orleans, as Pro Football Focus described it, Darnold enters Week 4 with the highest overall grade among quarterbacks (91.9). It’s safe to say that Darnold, who signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with Seattle this offseason, is surpassing expectations thus far.
With the Seahawks sitting at 2-1 on the season, a win over their NFC West rival, the Cardinals, who are also 2-1, would be huge. Cheering on Seattle as they travel to State Farm Field in Glendale on September 25, Darnold’s fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle.
Darnold, who’s dated Hoofnagle since 2023, proposed in July. The couple immediately celebrated with an engagement party in Dana Point, California, with guests that included Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his wife, Hailee Steinfeld.
While moving to Seattle and getting engaged are big life changes, Hoofnagle appears to be making the transition seamless. “The support [from] my girlfriend is unbelievable,” Darnold told US magazine in March.
“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.
“She’s great. She’s always been my biggest supporter. And I love her, and I thank her for that all the time.”
Sam Darnold’s Fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle, Showed Off Her Elevated Heart Rate While The Seahawks QB Is Playing
Hoofnagle’s latest Instagram post is from the Seahawks’ 2025 season opener at Lumen Stadium. While Seattle ultimately lost 17-13 to the San Francisco 49ers, Hoofnagle proved she’s her future husband’s No. 1 fan.
She posted several photos from the game and wrote, “football & my elevated resting heart rate are back.” One photo showed her heartbeat at 122 beats per minute — much higher than the average resting heart rate, which ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute, per Harvard Health.
Hoofnagle rocked a Seahawks baseball jersey with a No. 14 tank top to the game. No matter the team Darnold is playing for, Hoofnagle is there to support. She’s been cheering on the Pro Bowlers throughout his tenure with the 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and now, the Seahawks.
She posted a tribute for the quarterback’s 28th birthday in June. The University of South Carolina alum wrote, “Amidst the chaos of our everyday lives, every day spent with you is filled with an abundance of peace, laughter, presence, joy, and love. Here’s to another trip around the sun sharing good meals, good music, and good company. Happy 28th birthday to my better half, I love you more 🤍.”
Sam Darnold Is Confident The Seahawks’ Offense Is Only Going To Get Better
While the Seahawks are on a short week, Darnold is confident that the offense will continue to improve as the season progresses. “It’s just continuing to know each other, to learn each other in the system, watch the tape, and be able to learn from Sunday,” Darnold told reporters.
“What do we do on Monday to get better from it and continue that process with each other. I think that’s the biggest thing and communicating. The more that we communicate with each other, the more that we talk to the coaches about what we’re seeing on the field, and how we can just clean things up as a group. It’s only going to continue to help us in the future and we’re going to continue to do that.”