The Seahawks launch their preseason on Saturday night with a visit from the Cowboys. One key aspect of the planning process will be the division of quarterback reps.
On Monday, coach Mike Macdonald addressed the issue, from the perspective of the playing time for backups Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe.
“We’re working through that right now,” Macdonald told reporters. “We might take a different approach this year on how we play our quarterbacks. Drew needs game work too. Everybody needs work, so how do you do it? Even Sam [Darnold]. What’s the smartest thing for him to get ready to play the season and our team, as well as those guys? . . . [W]e’re finding it out. We’ll find out on Saturday.”
The shift in the regular season from 16 games to 17 games, along with the shrinkage of the preseason from four games to three, has created a much wider range of decisions as to the distribution of reps in exhibition games.
Regardless, the overriding goal is to get the first-stringers ready for the first game. That includes balancing the rewards of preparation with the risks of injury — especially since quarterbacks don’t wear red “no-touch” jerseys during preseason games.
