Sam Darnold was signed by the Seattle Seahawks this offseason to replace quarterback Geno Smith. Smith had been a three-year starter for Seattle, but he was in his mid-30s, and his ceiling might have been reached. Darnold might not be as good as Smith was, but he was seven years younger and Seattle thought he was worth the risk.
General manager John Schneider then did something odd with his quarterback room. He signed free agent Drew Lock, even though the team already had Darnold and Sam Howell. The Seahawks also chose Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Four quarterbacks might have been two too many.
New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has had three quarterbacks on rosters before, though. If anyone can ensure there is no internal drama and every quarterback has a chance to improve, it is Kubiak. But Milroe was only the third quarterback he had drafted with the Seahawks since 2010.
Could Jalen Milroe beat out Sam Darnold for the Seahawks QB1 spot in 2025?
That implies that Schneider sees a lot of promise in the raw Milroe. The quarterback has excellent ability to run the ball and a strong enough arm to reach any level of the field. The questions about him are about how accurately he throws the ball and his consistent indecisiveness.
He needs some seasoning for a season or two before truly battling for the QB1 spot. Darnold was signed for three years but has no guaranteed money in years two and three. He should be Seattle's starter through 2027, but if he falters in his first year with the team, Seattle will not hold back from replacing him with Lock or Milroe.
According to the Sporting News' Vinny Iyer, Milroe taking over for Darnold might happen much sooner than most expect. At some point in the coming season, Iyer believes Milroe could become the Seahawks' long-term quarterback starter.
In an article about the most significant threats for rookies to steal a veteran's job, Iyer writes, "It's a long shot for the Seahawks to be so open-minded to give Milroe a full-fledged shot, but there's still a chance that Milroe can manifest all of his talent to make this Russell Wilson-over-Matt Flynn all over again 13 years later."
That last part is certainly possible. Russell Wilson was taken in the third round, just like Milroe, in the 2012 draft, and was not expected to be the starter immediately. He took the job from Flynn in training camp that offseason and became the best quarterback in Seahawks franchise history.
Could lightning strike twice? John Schneider might be hoping that Jalen Milroe is the second coming of Russell Wilson.