A QB controversy in Seattle? Maybe coaches don’t want it, but I’m all for it

For several reasons, I hope Jalen Milroe is the Seahawks’ starting quarterback when they play their first regular season game against the 49ers on Sept. 7th.

If that happens, it would mean the next three months would be filled with all kinds of uncertainty and upheaval featuring lackluster Sam Darnold practices and preseason performances along with shining moments for Milroe.

And heck, I even forgot about Drew Lock being here for the second time with the Seahawks - who in the world knows why they brought him back?

Wait, I’ll answer that question, it must be insurance against Milroe being so bad with his accuracy that they couldn’t possibly go into the season with him as the backup quarterback.

The Seahawks opened their Organized Team Activities last week, but this week is the first time the media was allowed to watch. At Monday’s practice, the News Tribune’s Gregg Bell noted that Lock looked the best of the three QBs with Darnold throwing two red zone interceptions and Milroe being largely off-target with his passes.

In the Seahawks’ ideal scenario, they must hope that Darnold seizes the first-string QB job and justifies the $100.5 million, three-year deal they gave him. That would allow Milroe time to develop as a possible starter in time.

Maybe it’s my sports radio background that fuels a different kind of ideal scenario for me - I’m all in on a quarterback controversy, and I don’t care if they paid Darnold a fortune, indicating initially that they’ll go with him no matter what. This situation is ripe for questions about who should start for the Seahawks.

Let me be clear about this - I’m terrible at gauging quarterback battles. Three years ago I bet $500 with Jason Puckett, my former partner at KJR-FM, that Lock would beat out Geno Smith for the starting job. Geno won that competition by a mile, maybe even a mile and a half.

There’s a reason why Milroe lasted until the third round - he struggled with consistency as a passer but more than made up for it with his legs, rushing for 20 touchdowns at Alabama, a skill set that makes him highly appealing at the NFL level. Maybe he could be the next Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts. Then again, maybe he’ll flame out like Trey Lance.

I just think Milroe will flash often enough in preseason games to give the Seahawks a tough decision. And part of that has to do with not completely buying into Darnold as a QB you can trust.

It sounds stupid to say that about a guy who threw for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Imagine saying you weren’t all in on Darnold after he passed for 347 yards and five TDs against the Falcons last year.

But he ruined his beautiful season by creating doubts in his last two games. In the final regular season game against Detroit with the No. 1 NFC playoff seed on the line, he went 18 for 41 for 166 yards in a 31-9 loss.

Then in the Vikings’ first and only playoff game, Darnold was sacked nine times and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. 

After that abysmal game, FOX analyst Troy Aikman said Darnold’s poor play would have a big impact on his future.

“These are the games that matter,” Aikman said. “That’s what you’re judged on.”

Before the game against the Lions, Darnold was projected to get a contract averaging in the neighborhood of $50 million a season - he ended up at $33.5 million. And think about this for a second: If he were so damn good, why did the Vikings let him go to free agency? 

Yeah, I know, they want to give the job to J.J. McCarthy, but to hand it over to an untested rookie instead of a seasoned veteran who just led your squad to a franchise record 14 wins?

In that Rams’ game, Darnold looked like the quarterback who said he was seeing ghosts in 2019 when he played on Monday Night Football against the Patriots. The Jets lost that one 31-0 with Darnold throwing four interceptions.

He never really distinguished himself in his stops in New York, Carolina and San Francisco before landing in Minnesota. Perhaps he’s turned the corner and become the QB he was expected to be when he was drafted No. 3 overall in 2018. Or perhaps he’ll always show signs of why he’s bounced around to five teams in seven years.

I’m guessing head coaches don’t like quarterback controversies, but Mike Macdonald didn’t help matters by saying after the draft that Darnold would take more than 90 percent of the snaps this year. That tells us Milroe will be on the field for 7 or 8 percent of the snaps with the Seahawks wanting to take advantage of his speed.

Will Milroe be used in the red zone? Will he be given a series in the second quarter as a changeup to Darnold, maybe to give defenses more to think about?

If I’m Darnold, I’m out on any of these options. I’m thinking why the hell did you give me $100 million if you’re not going to give me 100 percent of the snaps? 

We all know this wouldn’t be precedent-setting if Milroe starts over Darnold. In 2012 the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round after signing free agent Matt Flynn in the offseason. Flynn was supposed to start until he somehow came down with what was termed a “soggy” arm before a preseason game in Kansas City. Wilson was spectacular against the Chiefs and won the job.

Milroe was also drafted in the third round. The similarities to Wilson 13 years ago could end there or maybe we’ll see it happen again and Milroe will become a franchise quarterback right out of the gate.

Sign me up for that. No sense in going with a place-holder if you have a difference-maker who’s ready to go in Jalen Milroe.

Jim Moore has covered Washington’s sports scene from every angle for multiple news outlets. He appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. on Jason Puckett’s podcast at PuckSports.com. He writes a Substack blog at jimmoorethego2guy.substack.com. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) @cougsgo.

This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 10:26 AM.