The Seattle Seahawks have a massive decision to make at quarterback: Play it safe or move aggressively into the future? What is clear is that starter Sam Darnold won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but who backs him up? That's somewhat unknown.
Drew Lock would be the safe bet, and not just in 2026. Lock is in his second stint with the team, likes the city, and fans like him. He is a team-first player and friends with Darnold. Lock, like any player, might want to be QB1, but he understands his place. He's battled his entire career to be a starter, but might know his future is as a QB2.
Jalen Milroe, however, might be in the most unfair position. The Seahawks chose him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and that is high enough to imply that he could fight for real reps at some point. He isn't likely to do that the way Seattle is currently structured, however.
Seattle Seahawks might have an interesting training camp battle to watch at quarterback
This is where things could get complicated for all involved. Darnold is the starter, and Lock will back him up. Milroe won't get many reps in practice, which seems to limit his overall growth. He needs to improve with his decision-making and passing accuracy, but he can't do that if he isn't getting reps.
Due to Lock's experience with the Denver Broncos, Seahawks, and New York Giants, a quarterback-needy team could seek a trade with Lock before the season, assuming Lock can be a high-end backup or potentially take over as a starter for a few games.
He wouldn't bring much back in trade value, but he is also entering the final year of his current deal, so getting anything in return might be a plus.
That possibility could lead Seattle's new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury, to give a few more training camp reps to Milroe in anticipation that, should something happen to Darnold, Milroe might need to be the guy. The former Alabama quarterback getting more work in practice could also make him more of a viable trade asset while Lock stays as the backup.
As silly as all of that might sound (Seattle Seahawks fans can probably safely assume that Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe will both be on the 2026 roster as QB2 and QB3, respectively), well-known national NFL insiders are debating the possibility that Seattle has a quarterback battle brewing behind Darnold.
In the past week, both Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero have debated whether Milroe should (and could) become QB2. These could be national reporters just talking to be talking because it's July and quarterback controversies are interesting. The reality is that Seattle doesn't have a real reason to move Lock to QB3 unless Milroe is shockingly impressive in training camp.
Anything is possible, however, and that could mean a trade. Milroe might have more value based on his age and raw athleticism. Seattle hopefully doesn't need three quarterbacks. The Seahawks definitely don't need a quarterback controversy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google