The Seattle Seahawks completely retooled the quarterback room this offseason as Sam Darnold is expected to take over as the team’s new starter after the franchise traded Geno Smith. It is not just the QB1 position that has changed for the Seahawks.
Seattle completely revamped the entire position group behind Darnold. The Seahawks drafted Jalen Milroe in the third round and plan to utilize the rookie in select packages this season.
Seattle then traded Sam Howell to make room for Milroe’s move to the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks also brought back a familiar face by signing Drew Lock after the veteran spent 2024 with the New York Giants.
Despite the Seahawks using a high draft pick on Milroe, not everyone is convinced that the playmaker will win the backup gig behind Darnold. Seattle Sports’ Cameron Van Til offered an early projection of the Seahawks final 53-man roster. The analyst projects that Lock will be the Seahawks backup quarterback over Milroe.
Let’s examine the case for Lock versus Milroe.
The Seahawks Predicted to Name Drew Lock as the Backup Quarterback Over Jalen Milroe
Even if Milroe is not officially the backup, it would not prevent Seattle from utilizing the quarterback in select packages as planned. It would still be a surprise if Lock is named the backup over Milroe given Seattle utilized a third-round pick on the signal-caller.
“This is the most clear-cut position group on offense, at least in terms of who makes the 53-man roster,” Van Til wrote in a May 26, 2025, story titled, “An early Seahawks 53-man roster projection for 2025.” “Darnold is the presumptive starter and will look to build on last year’s breakout campaign in Minnesota. Lock figures to be the backup, given his experience in making 28 career starts – including two with Seattle in 2023.
“The big X-factor is Milroe, who enters the NFL as likely a multi-year developmental project. Given his tantalizing skill set as a runner, will the Seahawks use him in specialty packages as a change-of-pace weapon? Could he make enough progress as a passer to surpass Lock as the backup in Year 1? Those will be fascinating storylines to follow this fall.”
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald: ‘Sam’s Going to Take, by Far & Away, Over 90% of Our Snaps’
Aside from Darnold being the team’s starter, little is known as to how the Seahawks will handle the quarterback position this season. This makes training camp particularly interesting to see how the quarterbacks perform.
While the Seahawks have hinted Milroe will see the field early, the rookie will need to prove he is ready to see snaps. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald estimated that Darnold will get more than 90% of the snaps this season.
“There’s always going to be an urgency in how we’re developing our players and how we’re training them,” Macdonald explained to reporters on April 26. “And Jalen’s going to be right there with everybody else.
“But yeah, Sam’s going to take, by far and away, over 90% of our snaps this year. However Jalen deserves and earns the right to go out there, then we’ll do that.
