Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Gets Good News in Competition With Top Rookie
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold could eventually face a challenge from rookie signal-caller Jalen Milroe for the starting job, but one insider believes the true competition won’t start for at least another year.
The Seahawks made a big investment in Darnold after his career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings, giving him a three-year, $105 million contract and a fast-track to the starting job. But the team likely also has long-term plans for Milroe, who was selected with the No. 92 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon may have some good news for Darnold, predicting that the starting job will belong to him in 2025.
Sam Darnold Holds the Keys
Darnold’s career appeared to be drifting off the road before he landed the starting job in Minnesota after a season-ending injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy. He was cut loose by the New York Jets after joining as a first-round pick in 2018, drifting around the league in backup positions.
But Darnold had a dramatic turnaround in 2024, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns — all career highs by a significant margin. The Vikings had plans to move back to McCarthy after he recovered from his injury, making Darnold one of the most sought-after free agent quarterbacks this offseason.
He landed with the Seahawks after the departure of Geno Smith, and Bleacher Report’s Gagnon predicted he would easily hold off Milroe’s challenge for the starting job.
“Seattle is giving handsome bucks to new starter Sam Darnold, and there’s little reason to believe this team won’t be competitive throughout 2024. On top of that, veteran Drew Lock is there in case of an emergency related to Darnold,” Gagnon wrote.
Gagnon added that Milroe could ultimately play a role in the offense, but only as a part-time player while Darnold locks down the starting job.
“I do expect the Seahawks to find creative ways to utilize the explosive Milroe in 2025, but it’s extremely unlikely he goes near the QB1 spot barring some major injuries elsewhere on Seattle’s QB depth chart in 2025,” Gagnon wrote.
Jalen Milroe Off to a Good Start
While the Seahawks are far from the competitive portion of their offseason practices, Milroe has earned some good marks in the limited action he’s seen so far. Former NFL quarterback turned analyst Kurt Benkert shared some praise for Milroe at rookie minicamp, noting that he looks strong in his throwing motion.
The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar also predicted that if Milroe can compete on Darnold’s level during training camp and the preseason, it could be enough to convince the Seahawks to hand him the reins early.
“It’s reasonable to expect Milroe to show flashes in the preseason, then spend most, if not all, of his rookie year on the bench behind Darnold,” Dugar wrote. “Anything more would be overestimating Milroe’s readiness and/or underestimating Darnold’s ability to look competent in Kubiak’s offense. That said, if Milroe and Darnold produce at comparable levels this summer, or if Milroe is only slightly less productive, then it makes sense to roll with the rookie.”
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