The Vikings are cooking… No, not a Nattmal feast—though maybe Sam Darnold deserves one after the way he’s been playing. Slingin’ Sam has been the guy, with zero interceptions over the past three weeks, leading Minnesota to a shiny 10-2 record.

But it’s not just touchdowns and dimes putting Darnold in the spotlight. A little internet buzz about the “Hawk Tuah” girl, Hailey Welch, claiming she had a “pookie” stirred the pot. Fans were quick to speculate if Sam was the mystery man. Spoiler: He’s not!

Sam shut that chatter down as if he was saying, “Hawk Tuah, spit on dem RUMORS!” AH! That would have been something if he had written that… But to make it extra clear Darnold went full Instagram-official with Katie Hoofnagle, aka @Hoofy, on her birthday. He reshared her 27th b’day post with this caption: “It’s my best friend’s birthday @hoofy.”

Sure, “bestie” doesn’t scream romance, but don’t overthink it, folks. Let’s Skip to the good part… Katie and Sam? They’ve been a thing since at least 2023 (if we are going by their first post together). Katie’s birthday post for Sam last year spilled the tea: “Your huge heart, goofy energy, and ability to quote every movie you’ve ever seen are unmatched.” If that doesn’t scream relationship goals, what does?

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But why those Hailey Welch rumors all of a sudden? Here’s a theory that might resonate with yours: Sam’s QB play isn’t the only thing he’s been keeping tight. The guy’s private about his personal life, and that left room for wild guesses.

How did Sam Darnold end up in a relationship with the hawk tuah girl?

The rumor mill worked overtime when the “Hawk Tuah” girl, Hailey Welch teased a mystery “Pookie” on her Talk Tuah podcast. A teaser post even flashed a picture of Sam Darnold, and naturally, fans couldn’t resist connecting the dots.

Could the Vikings’ star signal-caller be her “Pookie”? That was the major consensus. But we know, it was but a wild speculation. Even before Darnold’s ‘gram-official of his girlie, Welch did set the record straight—her man isn’t Darnold or any other celeb. Enter Kelby Blackwell, a small-town plumber.

Turns out, Kelby’s “Pookie” nickname came from his coworkers after he started dating the viral star. As for their love story? Welch spilled some hilarious tea, recalling how her cousin KK literally hid in the backseat during her first hangout with Kelby. “KK is a G,” Welch laughed. “I was scared to go alone.” Spoiler: things got romantic fast, but KK’s peeking head under the covers was the real MVP moment.

So yeah, Sam Darnold can safely focus on football without the off-field drama. And focus he has been. With the Vikings sitting pretty at 10-2 and Darnold racking up nearly 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns, he’s been cooking defenses for five straight wins. Playoffs are almost a done deal. Hawk Tuah drama aside, Darnold’s got some major Ws sealed in his bag!