Sam Darnold made his debut for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday when the team opened its 2025 NFL season with a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The talented quarterback, who signed with the team during the offseason, had his fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle, cheering for him in the stands. According to Hoofnagle’s Instagram post, watching Darnold play for the Seahawks gave her such an adrenaline rush that it took time for her heart rate to return to normal.
Darnold’s first game of the season definitely did not go as planned, with the Seattle Seahawks losing to the San Francisco 49ers with a final 17-13. The quarterback did not score and only managed to complete 16 passes out of 23 attempts for 150 yards. Running back Zach Charbonnet managed to plunk down a score with 12 carries on the ground.
Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) participates in pregame warmups ak
at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
“football & my elevated resting heart rate are back”Sam Darnold’s fiancée,Katie Hoofnagle wrote in her Instagram post, while also sharing several pictures from the Week 1 game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers.
Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will be moving on to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the upcoming week and will try to win their first game of the season. The Seahawks have gone through several crucial offseason moves and will keep their fingers crossed that this NFL season goes better than their previous one.
Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during a TV timeout during the second half against San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
In the 2024 NFL campaign, the Seattle Seahawks were definitely among the weaker teams of the league and did not make it anywhere close to the postseason. The Seahawks did do pretty decent in the preseason with a single tied-game, one win and one defeat. The team will try to soon grab a win with Darnold at the lead of their offense.
Sam Darnold May Be Benched If Week 2 Ends With Loss
In other news, Sam Darnold will definitely have to do better for the Seattle Seahawks and that too pretty soon according to recent reports. If the quarterback fails to do well in the upcoming week, the Seahawks may actually end up benching the quarterback. According to reporter Mary Kay Cabot, Darnold may not be an option for the team to continue with if the quarterback does not perform in the Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sam Darnold’s previous season was definitely impressive, which was one important reason for the Seattle Seahawks to bring him in. The quarterback will definitely be playing in Week 2 with a lot more pressure on his shoulder.
Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) greets Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) following a Seattle victory at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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