Barring a shocking turn of events, the Seattle Seahawks should be all set at quarterback. Sam Darnold is still under contract for another year after next season, and he'll probably land an extension after this season.
That doesn't mean the Seahawks' quarterback room or pecking order is set in stone. There's still a competition for the QB2 spot, and Jalen Milroe has some catching up to do to take Drew Lock's spot as the top backup.
Milroe's physical tools are enticing, but it takes much more than speed and athleticism to take the field for the reigning Super Bowl champions. That's why new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury sent him a clear message: If you want to have some subpackages and plays run for you, you have to be able to play quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury wants to see more from Jalen Milroe
"Potentially," Fleury said when asked about running some packages for Milroe. "If he's gonna be active on game days, we're gonna have ways to use his skills to our advantage and surprise defenses with that. But the decision about that is gonna base on how well he plays quarterback."
The Seahawks used Milroe three times during his rookie season. He entered the field in wild-card formation on every occasion, toting the ball three times for four years and not attempting a single pass.
There are some major concerns about his apparent lack of improvement between seasons. The Seahawks always knew he was a bit of a blank canvas when they took him in the third round, but one would want to see more development from the second-year signal-caller at this point.
Accuracy and decision-making were the biggest asterisks on his impressive résumé; he completed just 64.3 percent of his passes in college. The flashy throws, arm strength, and big scrambles were there and were enticing enough to be worth the gamble, but he struggles with the most simple parts of playing the position— the automatic stuff.
Giving up on Milroe so early would probably be a disservice. Development isn't always linear, and some guys need more time to figure things out. That said, if he can't show enough upside to be a QB2, one can only wonder how much more time the Seahawks will spend trying to develop him.
It hasn't all been bad. On Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Brener argued that Milroe had some solid days in training camp and could actually give Lock a run for his money. Now, it's all about finding consistency and proving that he can be trusted to make a pass if the team needs him to:
“While Lock keeps the QB2 spot, Milroe is actively challenging him for his job,” Berner reported. “Milroe has stacked some strong days in training camp, and it is better than anything he did during his entire rookie season. Milroe is making throws that he was unable to make a year ago, and it’s clear that he has learned a lot from his year on the bench.”
Having him take a step would open up so many things for this offense. Darnold can make every throw in the book, but he's not the fastest or most mobile guy out there. Milroe's passing would force opposing defenses to keep the box stacked because of his quick legs, leaving someone open downfield for a big throw.
Also, while there's no indication that the Seahawks want to part ways with Darnold, watching the Alabama product get better would at least make that a conversation worth having. That doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.
Coach Fleury knows that his offense can benefit from Milroe's craftiness and dual-threat skill set, but he won't let anyone waste his time. Do you want to take the field and show what you can do? Then you'd better learn how to throw the ball consistently.
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