What Seahawks told Sam Darnold about drafting Jalen Milroe

Eyebrows were understandably raised when the Seattle Seahawks took Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Seattle then signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5M contract early in free agency. 

During a Thursday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Seahawks general manager John Schneider revealed how head coach Mike Macdonald handled what could have been an awkward situation regarding the club's quarterback room. 

"Mike Macdonald gave Sam a heads up," Schneider said about informing Darnold of the Milroe move, Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons shared. "It was kind of in that period just coming down the pike, like, 'Hey, this isn’t about you. This is about acquiring an impact player, in our opinion. Where’s the quarterback stuff go? We don’t know how fast.'"

The day before the 2025 draft got underway, ESPN's Brady Henderson mentioned that Milroe "could be a wildcat/gadget-play weapon for" new Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak previously coached a similar playmaker in Taysom Hill while serving as the New Orleans Saints' OC. 

Nevertheless, the Milroe pick could make for an interesting storyline if Darnold plays poorly this fall. It's hardly a secret that the Seahawks can escape Darnold's contract as soon as next offseason, and one can't help but remember that he endured a pair of nightmare outings over his final performances with the Minnesota Vikings this past season. 

"Milroe needs to make improvements as a passer, so he won't challenge Darnold as QB1 and might not even beat out Drew Lock as QB2," Henderson wrote for a piece published on Thursday. "But Seattle envisions Milroe playing a few snaps per game in packages that will take advantage of his running ability. The Seahawks can then use the 2025 season to assess his development and decide next offseason whether to proceed with him or Darnold."

12 months ago, there seemed to be little chance that Kirk Cousins would lose the Atlanta Falcons' starting job to then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. after the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed. Penix ultimately replaced Cousins in the Atlanta lineup after Week 15 of the 2024 season. 

Depending on how Milroe develops as a passer over the next few months, Darnold could quickly become surplus to requirements in Seattle unless he guides the club to at least a playoff berth.