Jalen Milroe slipped to the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft and was taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the idea he would have time to sit and develop. The Seahawks will obviously install a package of plays to take advantage of Milroe's brilliant athleticism, but the starting QB in Seattle will be Sam Darnold.
Or maybe not.
The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer penned a piece on Friday of the 12 biggest rookie threats to steal jobs away from veterans. The list included Milroe.
As mentioned by Iyer, Milroe beating out Darnold would be a call-back to Russell Wilson beating out Matt Flynn in Seattle back in 2012. That offseason, the Seahawks signed Flynn to a big contract before using a third round pick on Wilson. Wilson beat out Flynn in training camp for the job.
Wilson's fall in the NFL Draft was more due to size concerns, however. He was already a polished passer coming out of Wisconsin. Milroe has all the physical tools but will likely need time to develop as a passer before he is ready for a full NFL workload.
The Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a 3-year, $100 million contract over the offseason. But Darnold's contract is really just a one-year deal. It's likely he will be the team's starting quarterback for this coming season, but the reigns could be turned over to Milroe for 2026 and beyond.
Milroe has already been impressive for Seahawks in Rookie Mini-Camp
It didn't take long for Milroe to impress in Rookie Mini-Camp for the Seahawks.
While Milroe's talent has always been undeniable, what might be even more impressive is how he carries himself. That was on full display from day one with the Seahawks.
Milroe carries himself like a veteran already and will endear himself to his Seattle teammates with his work-ethic and leadership abilities. It's those qualities, more than his on-field talent, that could lead to him taking over as the Seahawks' starting QB earlier than anticipated.
Darnold will be the opening day starter, barring injury. But if things go awry early in the season and the Seahawks aren't winning games, there won't be a lot of patience. There never is in the NFL. Regimes have short windows to win, or they are replaced.
If the time comes in Seattle when the organization believes Milroe gives them a better chance at winning football games than Darnold, then they will turn the keys over to the former Crimson Tide star.