Gregg Bell The Peninsula Gateway
Nehemiah Pritchett thrilled teammates in the Seahawks’ first preseason game.
The second-year cornerback used a coverage disguise from coach Mike Macdonald to intercept a Las Vegas Raiders pass in the third quarter. That sparked the second of two celebrations of veteran starters in ball caps and sweats running from the bench off the sideline onto the field into the end zone to laud their intercepting teammate.
Both caused 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties.
And the coach didn’t care.
“Cost of doin’ business,” Macdonald said, approving the fun vibe. Coach Mike Macdonald on this, after the #Seahawks’ preseason opener: “Cost of doin’ business.” https://t.co/VjnK2W4GH4 — Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 8, 2025
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Pritchett? He saved his awe for Jalen Milroe Thursday night in Seattle’s NFL preseason opener at Lumen Field.
“He definitely impressed me,” Pritchett said of the Seahawks’ rookie quarterback.
That praise isn’t automatic. Pritchett played collegiately at Auburn. Milroe played at Alabama, Auburn’s hated, in-state rival. They played against each other in the loveless Iron Bowl two seasons ago.
That’s how good the third quarterback general manager John Schneider has selected in 16 Seahawks drafts was Thursday in his first NFL game. Even Milroe’s sworn rivals loved it.
For Milroe, it was the stuff of dreams.
“What a dream come true, to play my first NFL game, and in Lumen Field,” he said late Thursday night, after the game with the Las Vegas Raiders ended in a 23-23 tie.
“Now, (let’s) try to build upon that.
“It was just awesome.”
He entered in the third quarter for Drew Lock (12 for 22 passing, 147 yards, one touchdown with an interception). Seattle was leading 16-3.
Milroe ran three times for 38 yards. A fourth carry, a scramble up the middle when he couldn’t find anyone open on his first drop back to pass, would have been for 11 more yards if not for a holding penalty on third-string center Federico Maranges.
The QB knocked for his inaccuracy throwing the ball at Alabama completed five of his first six NFL passes. The one incompletion was deep to the sideline wide of rookie wide receiver Tyrone Broden. If accurate, that pass would have gotten the Seahawks into the red zone in the fourth quarter. He rolled to the right in the third quarter then threw back left across the middle for a 15-yard completion to Broden. That set up Seattle’s lone score after halftime, a 1-yard run by rookie Jacardia Wright.
Milroe took off around right end on an option keeper in the fourth quarter, zooming past defenders like no Seahawks QB has in a minute. That gained 26 yards.
“He’s fast. He’s really fast. REALLY fast, you know?” Lock said. “Definitely saw it tonight.
“Made great decisions with the ball in his hand as far as passing goes. I mentioned this to him: Getting into those fourth quarter preseason games, it’s all about making the right decisions, right footwork, right reads. From the sideline I felt like he did that tonight.
“He did a great job. I was proud of him.” Jalen Milroe’s passing
His precision passing was most encouraging to Milroe’s coaches.
“I thought Jalen played well,” Macdonald said. “I thought he made good decisions. Operation-wise there are some things we want to be a little cleaner on.
“Throwing the ball accurately, throwing it on time, and then when it wasn’t there, extending plays with his legs, I thought was really cool. Made some good decisions in the quarterback-driven game with how they’re playing their edges.
“Again, we haven’t game-planned these guys, but they’re a mesh charge of the quarterback. So not getting greedy and handing the ball off and having effective runs, I thought that was good stuff for not really having prepped them for them.”
But Milroe missed connecting with tight end Marshall Lang throwing while rolling out of fourth and 1 near midfield leading 23-20 with 4 minutes left. A better pass, or Milroe running instead there again, may have clinched Seattle winning 23-20.
“Yeah, so I had the threat of throwing and running,” Milroe said. “So as I assess this tape...I’ll see what was best for us on offense. But I had the opportunity.
“Of course an incompletion, you’re going to look at how we can be better on that play. We have to look: How can we be better on that play.
"The best thing for me as a quarterback is Coach trusted me on fourth down to make a play. So, I just give thanks to Coach Kubiak, Coach Macdonald, because they kept the offense on the field and allowed us the opportunity to advance downs.”
The Raiders converted the turnover on downs to the tying field goal with 1:12 left. Milroe got the ball back in a tie game late. But a second-down pass to Broden was just wide out of bounds. On third down, Milroe got pressure up the middle he couldn’t escape and got sacked.
“Can’t take a sack there,” Milroe said. Preview of regular season?
It’s becoming apparent Kubiak is going to have a package of designed quarterback runs by Milroe in game plans during the real season. Likely for week one, when the Seahawks host the division-rival 49ers Sept. 7.
San Francisco’s coaches will see the film from Seattle’s game Thursday, and find the Seahawks have a dimension at quarterback they haven’t had, maybe ever: a second QB with an entirely different set of skills from starter Sam Darnold. The Niners — and the Steelers in week two, the Saints in week three — now have to spend hours preparing for a Milroe package before playing Seattle.
Milroe knew Kubiak would show the designed runs by him Thursday. He does it every day in training-camp practices.
“No, I’m not really surprised by that. That’s definitely a weapon that will be utilized now or even in the future against defenses,” Milroe said. “You know how much of a threat it is against defenses when you’re able to throw and run.
“I know no matter what game plan it is, utilizing the passing game and the running game is going to be beneficial for us.”
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