As they await Sam Darnold’s return from an opening-day injury, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald are faced with a fairly common NFL problem. How much do they trust their backups at the most important position on the field? Do they need to bring in reinforcements just in case?
Macdonald told the media that Jalen Milroe – typically third-team, but second-team while Darnold is out – will get some reps in practice this week. This has nothing to do with Drew Lock, who remains the clear starter with Darnold unavailable.
It is more an acknowledgement that Milroe has little experience and would benefit from some extra work. If anything happens to Lock in this week’s game against Arizona, Milroe will have to play.
Can the Seattle Seahawks depend on Jalen Milroe if he is pressed into action this year?
This runs counter to standard NFL procedure, where the starting quarterback gets all of the first-team reps during the week. Fortunately, Lock is a veteran who knows how to prepare with limited reps.
Sacrificing a modest portion of his practice time this week in favor of Milroe is both a luxury and a necessity. But it does beg the question … if Lock has to leave the game, should Seattle have another veteran waiting in the wings?
Seattle has constructed a classic modern quarterback room. They have the clear alpha in Darnold. They have the reliable, experienced backup in Lock. And they have a mercurial developmental talent in Milroe. That makes plenty of sense. But what happens when one of the first two pieces can’t play?
We actually saw a version of this at the end of the 2025 season, and it resulted in one of the odder stories of the year.
The Indianapolis Colts were fighting for a playoff spot when they lost their starter, Daniel Jones, in early December. The presumptive backup, Anthony Richardson, had been out with an orbital bone fracture since early October, leaving rookie Riley Leonard as the only backup to Jones.
In hindsight, Colts GM Chris Ballard made a serious miscalculation about the severity of Richardson’s injury. He probably operated under the assumption that his backup QB would return during the 2025 season, but that did not happen.
Therefore, Ballard never brought in a steadier option to back up Jones. Ballard and coach Shane Steichen clearly did not trust Riley Leonard to handle the pressure of a playoff push, and with no other options, they turned to 44-year-old Philip Rivers – who had not played in the NFL for five years – to rescue them. It did not work out.
There are plenty of differences between that Colts situation and the one John Schneider faces now. Milroe, though still raw, is in his second year, as opposed to Leonard, who was a rookie in 2025. The Colts’ injury occurred in the final month of the season.
Seattle is dealing with this problem in the first month. Most significantly, unlike the Colts in 2025, Seattle has an exceptional defense that can carry them for several weeks if the quarterback play is below par. In other words, they are not nearly as desperate as Indianapolis was late last season.
But the same underlying issues remain. What happens if Drew Lock twists an ankle or suffers a concussion in the first quarter of the Cardinals game and is ruled out? Is Mike Macdonald comfortable with Milroe running his offense? Macdonald preaches the concept of the “70” – how every member of the roster and practice squad needs to be ready to perform at any moment.
That is wonderful in theory, and we saw it play out on the field with backup safety Rodney Thomas II in Week 1. But quarterback is a different animal. Milroe had limited college experience and, as we saw in the final preseason game a few weeks ago, he is capable of great plays and poor plays. The bottom line is that he has yet to show the consistency required of a winning NFL QB.
For Week 2, the die is cast. Seattle does not have another quarterback. If Lock can’t go, it will fall on Milroe, and his performance will go a long way toward determining Schneider’s next move. If all goes well, Lock remains healthy this week, and Darnold is back by Week 3. Everything returns to normal.
But Schneider and Macdonald make their living by having contingency plans at the ready. Every team has an emergency quarterback behind the officially designated emergency quarterback. In the event of disaster, someone has to take the snaps.
I don’t know who that is for the Seahawks this week. Unless they sign a veteran to the practice squad before Sunday, perhaps AJ Barner, who takes snaps in short-yardage situations, would be that dire emergency option.
If things do get worse – if Darnold suffers a setback, or if something should happen to either Lock or Milroe – Schneider will be forced to make a move. There are options, though none are very appealing. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo remains unsigned and is probably the highest-end QB the Seahawks could import.
Other intriguing options include former Rams QB John Wofford, who has some experience in the NFC West, and Adrian Martinez. Like Milroe, Martinez is a young, raw talent. He spent last season with the 49ers, so he would at least be known to offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.
Those are not great options, and hopefully it never comes to that. But you can bet Schneider and Macdonald have given some thought to what happens if the Seahawks suffer any further setbacks to their quarterback room.
Add us as a preferred source on Google