The Seattle Seahawks have the luxury of three quarterbacks who have all shown to be capable of running an NFL offense ahead of the 2025 season. With Sam Darnold having been established as the starter, Seattle has spent most of the preseason deciding if the backup quarterback will be veteran Drew Lock or third-round rookie Jalen Milroe.
While Lock has a strong arm and experience on his side, Milroe has some of the most jaw-dropping athletic ability of any quarterback in the NFC. If the Seahawks want the player with the highest upside as QB2, Milroe could beat Lock out.
With backup quarterback remaining a position of need for many contenders in the league, Lock is likely going to command a somewhat healthy trade market. After letting Sam Darnold join the Seahawks in the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings might need to ask John Schneider to send a veteran their way.
This Vikings-Seahawks trade sends Drew Lock to Minnesota
Minnesota's quarterback room behind rookie JJ McCarthy consists of a struggling Sam Howell, a career third-string quarterback in Brett Rypien, and undrafted free agent Max Brosmer. If none of them end up enticing the Vikings, look for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to look to Seattle in hopes of landing Lock via trade.
The 2024 season with the New York Giants only confirmed that Lock is more of a solid backup than a fringe starter in this league, even when considering his above-average arm. In five starts last year, Lock completed just 59% of his passes while throwing six touchdowns against five interceptions.
While Lock may have chosen to return to Seattle due to their favorable offensive scheme, going to a Vikings team that runs an upgraded version of that same scheme with one of the best collections of skill position talent in the game is likely not going to upset Lock that much.
Seattle, meanwhile, can move fully ahead with the Milroe experience. If he looks the part in the team's final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, the Seahawks may have all the evidence they need to finally lock in the toolsy Alabama product as Darnold's top deputy for years to come.
If Darnold does miss some time this season, there is little the Seahawks can gain by leaving Milroe rooted to the bench in favor of Lock. This trade gets Minnesota a new backup, all while Seattle's draft pick moves one step closer to a long-term NFL role.