The Seattle Seahawks fell in their preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, with Sam Darnold not playing. As a result, it led to more playing time for backups Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe.
Regarding Milroe, the 23-year-old went 5-for-8 on his pass attempts, resulting in 36 passing yards. However, Milroe made an impact with his legs, finishing with 36 rushing yards on five carries, including a 20-yard run.
Moreover, the Seahawks QB averaged 7.2 yards per rushing attempt. Following his showing against the Cowboys, Seattle Sports’ Michael Bumpus shared his evaluation of Milroe from the preseason contest.
“He’s gotten better,” Bumpus said in an Aug. 17 video from Seattle Sports. “He really has. I feel good about Milroe and where he was or where he is after that first game. “Obviously, you want to see improvement, but for what I’ve been able to observe, for the opportunities that he’s gotten, I’m not deterred. I’m not looking at him and thinking he’s a waste, get him out of here. I’m, if anything, more intrigued.”
Moreover, Bumpus is urging Seattle to give Milroe the bulk of the snaps ahead of the team’s second game on Aug. 23 against the Tennessee Titans, given that the Seahawks know what they have in Sam Darnold and Lock.
“Get him more [reps],” Bumpus added. “Sam might play Week 2, but keep letting [Milroe] get the bulk of these snaps. Drew has hundreds upon hundreds of snaps under his belt. He’s good. Jalen needs these because it’s going to help you make a decision on how to develop him.”
Seattle Urged to Develop Jalen Milroe
Whether or not Milroe becomes a QB the Seahawks can use as a backup or starter remains to be seen, but Bumpus believes that developing him by letting him play in preseason games could allow Seattle to use him as a trade chip down the road.
“Maybe you want to use him as trade bait, who knows? But more importantly for him, because we met with him, he’s super confident. I think he’ll be successful in this league or whatever else he wants to do. That’s the type of young man that he is. But if he doesn’t get the reps, you never truly know.”
Meanwhile, in the same segment, Stacy Jo Rost shared what she believes Milroe’s mindset is this preseason.
“What stood out to me most in our conversation with Jalen, and one thing that I was therefore watching for in this game, is that it seemed like he didn’t like being seen as a running quarterback,” Rost added. He was very clearly like, ‘Yeah, I’m athletic, I can run, I can scramble, but I’m a quarterback.'”
Seahawks HC on Jalen Milroe’s Performance
After the loss to the Cowboys, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald spoke to the media and spotlighted Milroe’s ability to extend plays using his legs.
“There were spots [where] we got to see what the things that he was seeing, but I think the whole thing just needs to take another step,” Macdonald told reporters postgame.
“Was it there? Let’s encourage him to go rip it. I think some great things that Jalen did was extend plays with his legs. Something that has been a point of emphasis with him, and it’s great to see him do that today. That really helped us.”
Seahawks Urged to Make Jalen Milroe Decision Before Titans Preseason Game