The Seattle Seahawks made a bold move in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting dynamic dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe. Though Milroe’s athleticism could get him on the field early in certain packages, head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear: the rookie will be developed strictly as a quarterback, not a jack-of-all-trades like Taysom Hill.
“The way [the Saints] used [Hill] was more of a tight end-fullback hybrid, sometimes taking snaps. Jalen is a quarterback through and through,” Macdonald emphasized last week.
“He’s going to be trained to play quarterback for us. When he’s in there, he’s going to be playing quarterback. But the athleticism is going to come to life when he’s on the field.”
Unlike Hill who has lined up everywhere, from quarterback to tight end to punt protector for the Saints, Milroe will stay planted firmly in the quarterback room. The Seahawks have no plans to reinvent his role.
Hill, now officially listed as a tight end in New Orleans, hasn’t started at quarterback since 2021. Underscoring the Saints’ shift away from viewing him as a traditional QB.
The big question in Seattle now becomes what Milroe’s role will look like in his rookie season. With veterans Sam Darnold and Drew Lock already on the roster, fitting Milroe into games might mean activating three quarterbacks on game days. Or possibly seeing Milroe climb the depth chart ahead of Lock.
Asked whether the team would take a slow and patient approach with Milroe’s development, Macdonald was definitive: “We don’t use patience a lot around here,” he said. “There’s always going to be an urgency in how we’re developing our players, how we’re training them. Jalen is going to be right there with everybody else.”
This offseason has seen major changes for Seattle’s quarterback room, with Darnold, Lock and Milroe all arriving alongside new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. While Darnold has some familiarity with Kubiak from their time in San Francisco, it’s a fresh offensive system for everyone involved.
How the quarterback reps are divided during offseason practices and training camp, especially with the starter needing the bulk of them, will be a key storyline to watch.
One thing is certain: Jalen Milroe will be trained and treated like what the Seahawks believe he can become: A true NFL quarterback.
