Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe is starting his NFL career buried behind two veterans on the depth chart, but one insider believes he will have a big opportunity to prove himself.
The Seahawks drafted the former Alabama quarterback to develop behind veteran Sam Darnold, and he is expected to fall behind Drew Lock as well. But ESPN’s Brady Henderson suggested that Milroe could have some good news as the season approaches, with a big early opportunity to prove himself.
Seahawks Could Find Ways to Use Jalen Milroe
Henderson wrote that the Milroe could be the one to watch on the Seahawks’ roster in training camp, noting that the Seahawks like what they’ve seen in the young quarterback and will find ways to get him early opportunities.
“Milroe, a third-round pick, should find his way onto the field as well, even as the third quarterback behind Darnold and Drew Lock,” Henderson wrote. “Milroe isn’t going to push Darnold for the starting job anytime soon, but the Seahawks do plan to use him a handful of snaps a game in packages that take advantage of his stellar running ability. Spring practices didn’t offer much of a glimpse of that as the Seahawks focused on installing their base offense, but that should change during camp.”
The Seahawks have also stressed that Milroe will be developed as a quarterback, not a hybrid or gadget player like Taysom Hill. Head coach Mike Macdonald praised Milroe’s work in early practices, saying in the spring that he showed poise in the pocket.
“You see the poise, the fundamental stuff, what we’re asking with footwork and timing and reads,” Macdonald said, via Cameron Van Til of My Northwest.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak added that Milroe has been working hard at his NFL opportunity, with his work ethic impressing the coaching staff.
“You see him in there at 4:30 in the morning on the field going through his plays,” Kubiak said, via My Northwest. “Nobody asked him to do that, but he’s out there putting in extra time.”
Sam Darnold Could Have Tenuous Hold on Starting Job
Though the Seahawks made a big investment in Darnold after his career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings, some insiders have suggested that his grip on the starting job may not be so tight. Darnold struggled at the conclusion of last season, being sacked nine times in the team’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Speaking to reporters this season, Darnold put the blame on himself.
“For lack of a better term, we laid an egg as an offense,” Darnold said, via Mike Silver of The Athletic. “And I think, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we were a really good team. But at the end of the day … when you get to the end of it and you don’t win the whole thing, you failed.
“I feel like I could have played way better,” Darnold added. “I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance.”
