Jalen Milroe didn’t just help himself on Friday night in Kansas City. He may have changed the conversation around his place with the Seahawks.
That felt far from certain after the previous preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, when the 2025 third-round pick looked shaky and rushed. He finished that one 6-of-11 for 52 yards and threw two interceptions, and the growth Seattle fans wanted to see from his rookie season to now simply wasn’t there.
Against the Chiefs, though, Milroe looked like a different quarterback. He was composed, decisive and willing to take what the defense gave him, and he hit a couple of throws that showed exactly why Seattle remains intrigued by him.
ON TARGET 🎯 @JalenMilroe to @codywhite_82 for 40 yards.
📺: KING 5 pic.twitter.com/7Ugy9X5lep
- Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2026
30 yards. 💥 @JalenMilroe ➡️ @emmanuelhende17
📺: KING 5 pic.twitter.com/Ya5v2HNgdY
- Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2026
By the end of the night, Milroe had turned in his best NFL outing so far: 16 completions on 26 attempts for 223 yards and a touchdown.
That doesn’t mean he’s suddenly ready to take over. Milroe still has plenty to prove before anyone can seriously call him a capable NFL starter. But he did enough to make sure he’s not in danger of getting cut before Sunday’s 53-man roster deadline.
He also won’t be backing up Sam Darnold this season. Seattle is expected to carry three quarterbacks for a second straight year, with Drew Lock holding the No. 2 job after a strong preseason of his own. Lock remains ahead of Milroe on the depth chart.
Still, Milroe’s task was simpler than all that. He needed to show real signs of progress in his second preseason, and after the first two games, that evidence was thin. It showed up in the finale.
The bigger picture in Seattle keeps Milroe’s development relevant. The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl season with Darnold at the controls, but there are still fair questions about whether the team wants to make another long-term commitment once that contract expires.
Darnold was good, not great, last season, posting a 55.6 QBR that ranked 19th in the NFL. His 14 interceptions were the third-most in the league, behind only Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa.
So while Milroe isn’t anywhere near the answer yet, Friday gave Seattle something it badly needed: a reason to keep believing there could still be a future here.
In Other News...
Kalen DeBoer Suddenly Has A Risky Alabama Roster Decision
As the fallout from the NCAAs latest eligibility debate continues to ripple through the sport, Alabama finds itself watching a situation that could open an unusual late-summer roster door. The issue centers on athletes from the 2022 class who are seeking a fifth college season, including some who have already spent time on NFL preseason rosters, and LSU is expected to move forward with several such additions even with SEC objections hanging over the conversation.
For Kalen DeBoer, the complication is whether Alabama could or should get involved if former players Jam Miller and Domani Jackson become available after their releases from NFL teams. Neither has publicly signaled any interest in a college return, and there is still no clear indication that Alabama would try to bring them back. Still, the possibility underscores how quickly a roster plan can become unsettled when the rules, the league and the transfer market are all moving at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Faces The Alabama Standard Nobody Can Truly Match
As Alabama gets ready to open the season against East Carolina, the conversation around Kalen DeBoer is already drifting back to the one standard that still hangs over the program: Nick Sabans. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy recently pointed to the current college football landscape as a major reason that level of dominance is so hard to duplicate, with the sports new reality changing how teams are built and sustained.
McElroy also suggested the Tide have not had the same kind of raw talent on recent rosters that Alabama fans came to expect in the Saban years, even if this group could prove to be steadier from week to week. That leaves DeBoer in the familiar Alabama position of being measured not just by wins, but by how closely his team can come to matching a legacy few programs have ever been able to approach. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russells Alabama Debut Already Brings One Big Week 1 Debate
The first look at Alabamas 2026 season comes with a little more intrigue than a typical opener. The Crimson Tide are set to welcome East Carolina to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 5, with Kalen DeBoer entering his third season and Keelon Russell taking over at quarterback after Alabamas 11-4 finish and College Football Playoff quarterfinal run a year ago. East Carolina brings its own momentum to Tuscaloosa, arriving off a 9-4 season under Blake Harrell and with Mitch Griffis installed as the new starter.
For Alabama, the conversation around Russell has already started to spill beyond simple debut buzz and into how the matchup itself might look. East Carolina has enough recent success to make this more than a routine warmup, even if the Tide are expected to be the better team on paper. The bigger question hanging over Week 1 is how quickly Alabama can settle in behind its new quarterback and whether the opener will reveal anything meaningful about how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]