The Seahawks‘ quarterback situation behind Super Bowl-champion Sam Darnold?
It’s not going as completely as they want.
The Seahawks’ veteran backup and former Denver Broncos starting quarterback has been where Jalen Milroe is now. Early in his career, as a starter in Denver, Lock looked brilliant in practices and in games when defenders weren’t crashing in on him.
But when the other team’s players did pressure him, Lock’s passes changed. So did his decision-making and decisiveness. Little of it changed for the good. He lost nine of 13 starts in 2020. He led the league in interceptions that year, his second NFL season.
So after Lock started and looked sharp (12 for 14 passing) in the Seahawks’ preseason game Sunday night at Tennessee, bolting the reserve offense to a 16-3 lead over the TItans’ starting defense, after Milroe struggled with decision-making and throwing two interceptions while under pressure in the second half as the Titans rallied to a 19-16 win, The News Tribune asked Lock, 29, a question.
What are you telling the 23-year-old Milroe?
“Me and Jalen have a lot of good talks,” Lock said of the Seahawks’ third-round draft choice from Alabama last year. “I think for him, the thing that I have experienced in my career is just continuing to find ways to get to the next play. Just clear your head no matter if it was your fault, somebody else’s fault. He does a great job of that.”
He needed to again Sunday night. For the second consecutive preseason game, Milroe took a sack by holding onto the ball on fourth down instead of throwing it to provide one of his receivers at least a chance to make a play.
Darnold, for instance, would know to throw the ball there, even into heavy coverage. So would Lock.
Coaches largely measure improvement by judging whether their players are repeating mistakes. Milroe held onto the ball on a fourth and goal the previous week in a preseason game against Dallas, and took a 14-yard sack instead of throwing the ball into the end zone to at least give his guys any chance to score instead of just turning over the ball to the Cowboys.
“You don’t want to be reckless, because you don’t want to throw a pick-six,” coach Mike Macdonald said.
“But if you have an opportunity, you want to be able to give someone an opportunity to get the first down, for sure.”
Milroe’s first interception was the surefire recipe for throwing one in the NFL: being late over the middle. Not only that, his throw was behind wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. settling into a zone past Tennessee‘s Anthony Hill Jr. The rookie linebacker had no choice but to intercept the pass Milroe threw right to him. Tennessee turned that gift into a field goal to cut Seattle‘s lead to 16-12 late in the third quarter.
On Milroe’s second interception, with 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Seahawks trailing 19-16, came after Milroe used his speed to avoid the pass rush, He scrambled to his right outside while in his end zone. Rookie receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was standing hooking up in another open zone down the field in Tennessee’s coverage. Milroe needlessly hopped as he threw to Henderson. The ball sailed slightly behind Henderson, who fell down while reaching back for the pass. It went directly to Titans safety Derrick Canteen behind the falling Henderson for the turnover.
Milroe completed 6 of 11 passes for 52 yards playing the entire second half, when the 16-9 lead Lock left him turned into the 19-16 loss.
His best play was a 16-yard run for a first down in the third quarter. Coaches have been emphasizing to the speedy quarterback to take off running decisively even on called pass plays when he feels he is faster than the edge pass rushers and defenders.
His first pass after that run was his best one Sunday, a dart across the middle to Foster into his stride for a 24-yard gain.
“Yeah, you say two picks, it sounds a certain way. Let’s watch the tape and see what we can improve there,” Macdonald said.
The first interception was just a poor, sub-NFL-standard throw. The second interception was largely not Milroe’s fault, though a more accurate throw in front of instead of behind Henderson may have prevented the receiver from falling.
“I think that’s just the constant reminder that we play a special position where we always have the ball in our hands, so everybody is looking at us,” Lock said. “It’s also 10 guys around us, and we all need to be on the same page and executing at the same level. Sometimes that doesn’t happen.
“You learn lessons as a young quarterback, even as an old quarterback. I’m sure Sam learned lessons last year. It’s about continuing to get better and moving on to the next play and perfecting your process.”
Milroe has been better this month throwing the ball in training-camp practices. He’s been more accurate and decisive throwing the ball down the field more often, rather than relying on check-downs short.
But the Seahawks, like all NFL teams, don’t practice what Milroe struggles with most: Making decisions and throws while getting hit and truly pressured by the threat of getting hit. Lock had the same problem in Denver, before the Broncos traded him to Seattle in the deal that sent Russell Wilson to Denver in the spring of 2023.
Quarterbacks are too valuable and cost too much in this league to get hit in practice.
In training-camp practices, defensive players run past Milroe to show it would have been a sack had they been allowed to hit the quarterback. But the play usually continues. The QB makes his throw anyway.
That’s now how games work. That’s not how Milroe’s two preseason games have worked this month.
Lock is entering the final season of his two-year Seahawks contract. He’s proven he can win as a starter in this league, and on short notice for Seattle. In December 2023 Lock out-played Jalen Hurts and the Seahawks beat the then-defending Super Bowl-champion Eagles on a Monday night when Seattle starter Geno Smith was out injured.
Darnold is entering the second season of his three-year contract. At his current level of performance, command and accomplishment, Darnold is on track to receive a mega extension by next summer, entering the final year of his Seattle deal.
Milroe remains a longer-term project. He has two years after this one remaining on his rookie contract. The Seahawks don’t need him to be an NFL number-two quarterback capable of winning games if need be until at least 2027, more like 2028 or later.
Macdonald, general manager John Schneider, offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz must judge by the end of this season whether Milroe is getting to the level of dependability that they can afford to let Lock go. If that answer is no, the obvious move is to re-sign Lock. That would put Milroe’s longer-term prospects in doubt.
Lock is still only 29. As he said again at the end of last season, after winning a Super Bowl ring as Darnold’s backup, he wants to play.
Thing is, these preseason games this summer are (less so) Lock’s and Milroe’s proving games. If the season goes as the Seahawks plan, Lock and Milroe aren’t playing meaningful snaps. If they are, that means Darnold got injured and is out. And that in the NFL means your season is in arrears.
So this is the time to make an impression. The final chance is Friday in the final preseason game, at Kansas City.
The quarterback from Katy, Texas, and the University of Alabama was playing Sunday night in SEC country, and in front of family members. They were wearing “Milroe 6” Seahawks gear as he met with them along the sideline at the end of pregame warmups.
His coach said Milroe was affected by his latest uneven performance. He gets another chance Friday against the Chiefs.
To be determined: Will Macdonald and the Seahawks give Milroe the entire game Friday night, as they did last summer in Seattle’s final preseason game of 2025 at Green Bay.
“I know he’s upset. He’s disappointed. But we have a long way to go, man,” Macdonald said as the team packed up to leave Nashville late Sunday night.
“He’s still got opportunity to improve and take his game to another level. So let’s go focus on that.”
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