Jalen Milroe scuffles in preseason defeat

Back in May 2025, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Milroe “will not be used in the same fashion as Taysom Hill,” but in August, Macdonald said regular season game plans would include plays for Milroe. It turns out, the former statement was far more accurate. Milroe logged just three snaps all year, and zero after Week 5. Seahawks TE AJ Barner functioned as the team’s Tush Push specialist. If the Seahawks really do intend to use Milroe as an offensive weapon, it would be very difficult for him to produce fantasy-relevant numbers with QB-only eligibility. He could, however, infringe upon the backfield’s red zone workload. Keeping an eye on his preseason usage will be worthwhile, but at this time, we have not seen enough from him to view him as a legitimate threat to the backfield’s carry share.

Jones will be the starting left tackle agaisnt the 49ers with Charles Cross (hamstring) unable to go. The inactives for the winner-take-all game for Seattle will be Cross, TE Nick Kallerup, S Coby Bryant, QB Jalen Milroe, LB Jared Ivey, OL Mason Richman and OL Bryce Cabledue.

Cross will be missed. The Rams’ 39.6 percent quarterback pressure rate is the seventh-best in the NFL. Bobo will be replaced by WR Dareke Young (quad), who also contributes as a returner. He was activated from injured reserve today. Both the Rams and Seahawks are 11-3, though the Rams have already secured a playoff spot. The Seahawks can take control of the NFC West with a victory this evening.

No surprises here as Seattle didn’t have anyone listed as questionable for this game. Milroe remains behind Drew Lock for backup duties.

Macdonald said, “we’re going to have plays for Jalen in game plans and he’s going to rep those with the 1s.” It seems the Seahawks have a plan to use Milroe offensively despite Sam Darnold still being the starter. We can expect to see the 22-year-old rookie have a package of plays, likely in the run game, for the Seahawks to utilize his rushing skillset. For fantasy purposes, this won’t make Milroe fantasy-relevant, but might take high-value rushing touches away from Kenneth Walker in the backfield.

“Instead,” Dugar writes, “he’s being brought along as a legitimate dropback passer, just like Darnold and Lock.” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald praised Milroe’s advancement in the dropback game, saying his eyes are “in the right spot, more consistently. He could probably go into detail. It just seems to me like it’s a quicker delivery. The footwork is starting to match the routes and the concepts.” This is a good update for Milroe’s future, but his fantasy viability will take a knock if Seattle isn’t willing to use him as a designed runner.

As reported by The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Duggar, Milroe played behind both Sam Darnold and Drew Lock and “didn’t have many plays that stood out” during the week. The team’s decision to play him with the third-string shouldn’t come as a surprise, as there’s a good chance Milroe, who was considered an unpolished passer upon entering the draft, could redshirt in his rookie season as he looks to learn behind two vets. While he could usurp Drew Lock on the depth chart with a strong training camp, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much out of Milroe as a rookie outside of the occasional gadget play.

Kubiak served as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator during the 2023 NFL season. Although Milroe is studying the overlapping “reads and play calls,” he also remains focused on improving his footwork, which is becoming a running theme this offseason. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that Milroe has been working on his “lower-half mechanics” with private QB coach Jordan Palmer. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler critiqued Milroe, pre-draft, for his “disjointed mechanics” that “disrupt the rhythm” of his dropbacks. Milroe knows he must improve in this regard if he wants to compete for the starting role in 2026. Milroe notes that Purdy “understands his feet are tied into the read and pocket integrity,” and Purdy is “at his best” and “most efficient” when he plays on time. Hopefully, Milroe can effectively put these conclusions to use in preseason play later this summer.

“Milroe is a quarterback, Macdonald said, and will be used accordingly,” The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar said. That doesn’t mean the Seahawks won’t find some way to get the ultra-athletic Milroe onto the field in some high-leverage circumstances, perhaps in short yardage or goal line situations. If Milroe and Darnold rotate snaps in 2025, neither will have much in the way of fantasy value. Seattle is fully expected to be among the NFL’s most run-heavy units under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Palmer has been helping Milroe improve his “lower-half mechanics” by specifically focusing on Milroe’s weight distribution during the passing motion follow-through. Milroe is an electric athlete who must refine his passing mechanics and processing if he wants to earn and retain a starting job in the NFL. He’s hired the right person to achieve this end. Palmer famously worked with quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Sam Darnold previously.