Jalen Milroe doesn’t usually get the kind of runway that comes with working with Seattle’s first-team offense. As the Seahawks’ third-string quarterback, those reps are supposed to be scarce.
But injuries have changed the picture over the past two weeks, and Milroe has taken full advantage. With Sam Darnold sidelined and Drew Lock’s workload being managed because of his own ailments, Milroe has gotten chances with the No. 1 offense - and head coach Mike Macdonald made sure to spotlight what he’s seen.
“Jalen Milroe has done a tremendous job when he’s been in there with the ones,” Macdonald said. “I’ve just been really, really impressed.
He’s worked extremely hard and he’s been very decisive. He’s delivering the ball accurately, on time.
He’s done a great job filling in for Drew when we need him.”
Lock is set to make his second straight fill-in start for Darnold on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, and Milroe will again be the gameday backup. That will make it four straight games in that role. He backed up Lock the past two weeks, and he was also the backup to Darnold against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 and the Chicago Bears in Week 8, when Lock was inactive because of a right elbow injury later reported to be “ severe tendonitis.”
Lock has also been limited in practice because of that elbow issue, along with an oblique injury he picked up in this past Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. That has opened the door for Milroe in a way Seattle probably didn’t expect, but Macdonald said the quarterback has handled it well.
“As funky as this situation is, it’s great to see what he’s capable of doing with the starters,” Macdonald said. “Any time you’re down your starters, those are really valuable reps. … So he’s definitely taken advantage of it.”
Seattle knew what it was getting when it drafted Milroe in the third round in 2025. The Alabama dual-threat was viewed as a developmental quarterback, one who would need time to sharpen his passing and his decision-making from the pocket.
His first preseason in 2025 was rough, and the first two preseason games this year didn’t do much to change that. But Milroe seemed to flip the script in Seattle’s preseason finale against the Chiefs in August, when he looked sharp, decisive and in rhythm. He finished 16 of 26 for 223 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
That momentum appears to have carried into practice.
“It’s been really, really good to see him take control in that situation and show everyone in the huddle, especially, that they can be confident when he’s out there,” offensive coordinator Brian Fleury said. “So he’s made the most of that opportunity.”
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That usage is no accident, especially with another difficult matchup looming against Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers. Emmanworis blend of size, range and versatility has already drawn comparisons to Baltimores Kyle Hamilton, and Seattle appears to be testing whether he can help solve a growing problem in the middle of the field while also expanding what this defense can do around him. [Read more 🡒]