When the Seattle Seahawks selected Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they did not do so to make him their starting quarterback next season. Milroe is the classic developmental backup with elite athletic traits that give the former Alabama QB tantalizing potential.
Aside from a few gadget plays for the run-first QB, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak likely don’t expect their third-round pick to bear much fruit in his rookie season, but that hasn’t stopped Milroe from impressing the Seahawks’ coaching staff through OTAs and earning major praise from Kubiak.
“The number one thing that stands out, the guy’s a worker. You see him in there at 4:30 in the morning on the field going through his plays,” Kubiak told Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “Nobody’s asking him to do that, but he’s out there putting in extra time. Seen him grow a lot from rookie minicamp to now, so been impressed with the kid.”
Jalen Milroe's work ethic earns early praise in Seattle
It’s no surprise that the player who quarterbacked Nick Saban’s final team to the College Football Playoff after getting benched early in the season is impressing NFL coaching staff with his work ethic. But just because it’s expected for a former Alabama star, doesn’t mean Milroe’s work habits will be any less crucial to his success in the NFL.
Milroe is unrefined as a quarterback. He’s shaky in the pocket, often unable to diagnose the defense, and despite his athletic gifts, finds himself taking sacks far too often. Though he possesses one of the biggest arms in the 2025 draft class, Milroe still needs to improve his accuracy to stick as a starter in the NFL. Aside from league-average hand size, Milroe has all the physical gifts a player could need; developing the other aspects of his game will come down to work.
This season, the 22-year-old rookie will have the luxury of sitting behind Sam Darnold, whom the Seahawks brought in on a lucrative but short-term free agent contract this offseason. While Kubiak and Macdonald were no doubt enticed by Darnold’s previous success and experience in a wide-zone-based, play-action-heavy offense like Kubiak prefers to run, from the former second overall pick’s time in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan and Minnesota with Kevin O’Connell, the contract wasn’t one that carries the expectations of a franchise savior.
Darnold is the classic bridge quarterback, carrying Seattle from Geno Smith to the future, and maybe the future in Seattle is Jalen Milroe.