Has Mike Macdonald made up his mind about Sam Darnold? The Seattle Seahawks have made multiple splashes so far this offseason. The team traded away Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, signed Sam Darnold, and drafted Jalen Milroe.
There’s been buzz about Darnold not being set as the team’s starting quarterback, and head coach Mike Macdonald recently addressed his QB situation.
Sam Darnold or Jalen Milroe for Seahawks’ QB1 Job?
Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with Seattle at the start of the new league year after an impressive 2024 campaign. The third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft spent three rough years with the New York Jets before short stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
He brought a 21-35 career record to the Minnesota Vikings last season and was set to compete with J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy’s preseason knee injury thrust Darnold into the starting role, leading Kevin O’Connell’s team to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth.
He made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career after throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While two bad performances in the playoffs ended his season on a sour note, he still finished No. 12 in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
Every Sam Darnold throw of 20+ air yards from a clean pocket in 2024: pic.twitter.com/9hUS7GGcqJ
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 15, 2025
The poor finish likely kept him from re-signing with Minnesota, but it paved the way for the biggest contract of his career. Seattle is starting a new era with Darnold running the offense and both Smith and Metcalf gone.
The seven-year veteran has much to live up to after last season’s performance and his big contract, but the Seahawks made things interesting by selecting Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Alabama product has received a ton of hype since being drafted, and Macdonald recently addressed his team’s quarterback discourse.
Underdog NFL posted on X, “HC Macdonald, when asked if someone besides Sam Darnold might start at QB for Seahawks: ‘No, you guys are crazy. I respect you’ve got to ask it but it’s just a crazy question. It’s just not going to happen. Sam’s our starting quarterback.”
HC Macdonald when asked if someone besides Sam Darnold might start at QB for Seahawks:
“No, you guys are crazy. I respect you’ve got to ask it but it’s just a crazy question. It’s just not going to happen. Sam’s our starting quarterback.”
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) June 3, 2025
Milroe was by far the best athlete of this year’s quarterback class. It was easy to see the comparisons to Lamar Jackson as Milroe shredded SEC defenses with his legs. He was arguably the best overall athlete in the draft, but fell to the third round given his shaky passing ability.
Seahawks Rookie QB Could See Early Action in Designed Packages
In his first season as the starter, Jalen Milroe threw for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 531 yards and 12 rushing scores. He followed that up with 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground last year, but only threw for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
There’s a case to be made that Milroe should see the field as a rookie in designed packages, but he’ll need time to develop into an NFL-caliber passer. Macdonald realizes that and likely threw cold water on any Seahawks fans fired up about Milroe.
2025 will be a transition year for Seattle, and the team’s quarterback situation will be at the forefront of many fans’ minds.