Coming into the final game of the 2026 preseason, many Seahawks fans had soured on 2025 3rd-round pick Jalen Milroe. Perhaps it was premature to say that he was fighting for a roster spot heading into Friday night's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he needed a strong performance in the worst way to secure his roster spot and, more importantly, sway the opinion of Seattle's 12th Man.
In the previous matchup last week against the Tennessee Titans, Milroe looked uncertain and flustered. The growth that fans hoped to see from his rookie season to now wasn't there; he was 6-of-11 for 52 yards and threw two interceptions.
But on Friday against the Chiefs, Milroe put together his best performance in the NFL to date. He was calm and confident, taking advantage of what the defense was giving him and throwing some absolute darts:
ON TARGET 🎯 @JalenMilroe to @codywhite_82 for 40 yards.
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2026
📺: KING 5 pic.twitter.com/7Ugy9X5lep
30 yards. 💥 @JalenMilroe ➡️ @emmanuelhende17
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2026
📺: KING 5 pic.twitter.com/Ya5v2HNgdY
His final stat line against the Chiefs: 16-of-26, 223 yards, and a touchdown.
Jalen Milroe has done enough to keep the Seahawks invested in his future
Milroe still has a ways to go in order to prove he's a capable NFL starter. But he's not in any danger of getting cut ahead of Sunday's 53-man roster deadline.
He won't be Seattle's backup this season behind Sam Darnold, though. For the second year in a row, the Seahawks will likely carry three quarterbacks, with Drew Lock as the team's backup. He had an impressive preseason and remains ahead of Milroe in the pecking order.
But Milroe just needed to show tangible signs of progress in his second preseason in the NFL. Those weren't obvious after the first two games. They were in game three. He's done enough to keep Seattle invested in his future.
The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl last season with Darnold leading the show. But it's still fair to question whether Seattle is willing to commit to another long-term deal after Darnold's current contract runs out. He was good - not great - last season. His 55.6 QBR ranked 19th in the NFL. His 14th interceptions were the third highest-mark in the league behind only Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa.
There's a world in which Milroe is still the QB of the future in Seattle. He needs to keep developing in the background and stacking performances as he did on Friday night in Kansas City to give the Seahawks a reason to keep believing in that reality.
Add us as a preferred source on Google