What’s going on with Sam Darnold? Wasn’t he supposed to be the hottest free agent prospect this year? I mean Darnold was coming off a breakout year where he ranked fifth in passing yards (4,319) and TDs (35) among all the other 31 QBs. Despite being treated as an NFL journeyman, Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 season. Won his first Pro Bowl and looked like a player that could easily command a huge market. But nothing like that is happening. It’s all doom and gloom for Darnold. Still, it looks like he isn’t ready to give up on himself. There is a light at the end of the tunnel—this might be Darnold’s mood right now based on his girlfriend’s latest social media activity.

Darnold’s long-time girlfriend Katie Hoofnagle shared a cute picture of the Vikings QB on her Instagram. Their Darnold was smiling at the camera while giving a thumbs up as Katie wrote, “Yeah!!.” Well, judging by her previous stories, it looked like Darnold and Katie were on a date in California. Hoofnagle shared a mesmerizing sunset photo while she tagged, “VAGA Restaurant & Bar,” possibly the place the couple went to enjoy their Saturday evening.

Seems like Hoofnagle is helping Darnold cope with all the noise surrounding his NFL future. I mean, what better way to spend a date night with your girlfriend instead of worrying about your future 24/7. But you can’t really blame Darnold if he is worried you know.

The Athletic’s Diana Russini’s latest update on Darnold’s future isn’t something he might want to hear. “I’m not getting a sense that there are teams banging on the door, trying to sign up Sam Darnold. I can’t believe it.” Well, the reason he gave was pretty simple to understand why Darnold is not getting enough attention. “I’ve had some people around the league point to those last two games really hurting his stock, and there’s an idea that maybe that’s the real Sam Darnold.” Those last two games? Yep, it’s not at all surprising, to be honest.

Both of them against the Lions and the Rams in the playoffs were total blowouts for the Vikings. Whatever good Darnold did in the previous 16 games wasn’t there in those season-defining games. He took 11 sacks and threw only 1 TD and an INT as the Vikings went crashing out last season. So, obviously the franchises who were discussing Darnold as a starter are now having second thoughts. But hey! It’s not all bad for the Vikings QB. There’s a franchise in the NFC West that is looking into signing Darnold.

Is Sam Darnold off to Seattle?

There’s no clear answer to what the Seahawks are trying to do this offseason. I mean, after releasing the veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks are also looking to trade away their star receiver DK Metcalf. But the biggest news came two days ago, when out of nowhere the Seahawks traded their QB Geno Smith. Tom Brady’s Raiders came in with a third-round pick, and Smith was off to Vegas. So, basically, the Seahawks are sitting ducks right now, with Sam Howell as their only starting QB.

Surely they are not planning to start Howell after he completed just 5 passes last season. Well, actually no. As per Fox Sports’ insider, Jordan Schultz, after trading Smith, the Seahawks consider Darnold as their No.1 target. Schultz also believes there is a mutual interest between them and a move could soon materialize. See, if it does happen it wouldn’t really surprise a lot of people out there. Clearly, the Vikings are not interested in keeping Darnold. If they were, Darnold wouldn’t even be hitting the free agency right now.

There was the option of franchise-tagging him for $40M but they didn’t. So, a move to the Seahawks could be another shot at a starting spot for Darnold. But the question is, will his Jets ghosts come back to haunt him or the last two games of his Vikings tenure? If either of those happens, then it could be over for Darnold by the end of 2026. Surely, he wouldn’t want to make those grim predictions on his future come true, right?