Sam Darnold is having a moment. He has spent seven years in the NFL, with only one of them being good. That came last year, though, and he turned that success into a three-year deal worth a max of $100.5 million with the Seattle Seahawks.
Even if Darnold fails, he is going to get $37.5 million in cash from Seattle, even if the team decides to move on from him after 2025. That is generational wealth for most people, and now Darnold officially has someone to celebrate it with.
He and girlfriend Katie Hoofnagle were engaged on Tuesday at a beach in Dana Point, California. Hoofnagle announced the engagement on Instagram, which was met, rightfully, with a lot of congratulations. (You know how social media can be, and people could have been mean, of course.)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold gets engaged
After the engagement, the couple had an outdoor dinner with friends and family. Hopefully, not right on the beach, though. All that sand might not make for the best of experiences.
Still, Darnold is making the most of his moment. He was terrific for most of 2024 until things turned sour in the final two games of the season. He, like nearly every quarterback, struggles under pressure, and while his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, had great skill position players and elite coaching, their offensive line was not good.
The Seahawks' O-line might turn out to be a step better than the Vikings were last season. Seattle has a good left tackle in the person of Charles Cross, and rookie left guard Grey Zabel should give the team its best long-term player at the spot in years. If right tackle Abraham Lucas can stay healthy, he will be good.
Of course, Hoofnagle is going to want the offensive line to be terrific because she doesn't want her betrothed to be injured. No one does. As much as Darnold is a risk, and not a clear upgrade over three-year starter Geno Smith, should Seattle's new QB1 succeed at a high level, the team might too.
If Darnold is a grand success, then his $100.5 max deal will seem like a bargain. The average annual salary is $33.5 million a season, and that currently ranks 18th in the league. Relatively speaking, he isn't being overpaid. He might end up being underpaid.