The Seattle Seahawks made waves at the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round, just a few months after adding Sam Darnold via free agency. Though Milroe is seen as a long-term project, the team has hinted at early plans to incorporate the former Alabama standout into their offense.
Head coach Mike Macdonald shared that Darnold is expected to take at least 90% of the team’s offensive snaps this season. However, both Macdonald and general manager John Schneider emphasized that Milroe will still have opportunities to contribute through specially crafted play packages.
“There’s always urgency in how we develop and train our players,” Macdonald told reporters on April 26, 2025. “Jalen will be right there with the rest of the group. Sam is clearly going to handle the vast majority of snaps, but if Jalen earns his spot, we’ll find ways to use him.
“If it helps us move the ball and challenges opposing defenses — thankfully not ours — then that’s a win. We’re not rushing him into action, but we’ll get him involved when the time is right.”
Seahawks GM on Jalen Milroe Being on Team’s NFL Draft Board: ‘He Was There by Himself (in 3rd Round)’
Schneider revealed that when the Seahawks were on the clock with the 92nd overall pick in the third round, Jalen Milroe was the only player left on their draft board. The general manager explained what stood out about Milroe during the pre-draft evaluations.
“He’s a phenomenal athlete,” Schneider said during an April 26 press conference. “Extremely fast—his GPS-tracked speed was around 21.2 miles per hour. But beyond that, he’s a dedicated worker. He even won the Academic Heisman. He’s dealt with four different offensive coordinators and continued to push himself.
“His mother served in the Navy, and his father is a Marine. He made a strong impression during his visit. When it came time to pick, he was the only one left on our board.”
The Seahawks Could Move on From QB Sam Darnold as Soon as 2026
Sam Darnold is still the starting quarterback for the Seahawks, but the way his contract is structured puts him under immediate pressure. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Seattle has the option to move on from Darnold after just one season.
Although Darnold inked a three-year, $100 million deal this offseason, it includes clauses that give the Seahawks flexibility.
“The structure allows the Seahawks to escape the contract after one year and $37.5 million,” Florio noted in a March 16 article titled “Seahawks can escape Sam Darnold’s deal after one year, $37.5 million.” He added that, while it’s typically discouraged for teams to cut players once injury-only guarantees shift to full guarantees during the early part of the waiver period, it has been done before—such as when the Raiders parted ways with Derek Carr in 2023. (The upside for the player is getting an early jump on free agency, sometimes by over a month.)