Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe took more than his share of lumps in the final preseason game of 2025. The 12s can be certain that he won't be popping off about how the NFL is easier than college ball.
I think it's fair to say that Jalen Milroe did not have the greatest preseason performance ever by a Seahawks quarterback. I'm not exactly concerned about that. I mean, other than the hideous lack of ball security. Yeah, I'm concerned about that a lot. As we all saw in the postgame press conference, Milroe is as concerned as anyone.
While there wasn't a lot to like about his performance in Green Bay, I love this about Milroe. When asked after the game if the fumbles were due to big hits or mistakes on his part, he answered, "That's all on me. You gotta take care of the football." I imagine he may soon look like he has a football grafted to his hand. But there were some positives to take away from his first NFL start as well.
Jalen Milroe knows how much he has to grow from the college game
There happens to be another young quarterback in the league with a somewhat similar profile to Milroe. That would be the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson. Like Milroe, he came into the league as an extremely gifted football player who was also extremely raw. Unfortunately for him, the Colts gave him no real opportunity for growth, but threw him into the starting role from day one.
Now, there are a lot of differences between the two players. Milroe was far more accurate in college than Richardson, completing nearly 10 percent more of his passes than Richardson. His TD and INT percentage were better as well. By one measure, touchdowns per carry, he was more effective than Richardson.
But the most telling difference is in his attitude. After Richardson was benched in favor of Daniel Jones, an interview from June 2024 surfaced. It was not a good look. "Playing in the NFL? I feel like it's easier than college," he replied when asked about playing in the league.
To be fair, he had all of four games under his belt at that point, as an injury ended his season in Week 5. I'm not sure how that makes the NFL easier, but he soon learned he was mistaken.
Or maybe he didn't, and that's why the Colts benched him. What I care about is that Jalen Milroe is not that guy. He didn't shrug off the fumbles like they didn't matter. He didn't complain that the majority of his reps were with the third team.
That was smart, as the majority of his plays were against the Packers' third team as well. I love the guy's attitude. You can see it for yourself in that postgame presser. The comment about the fumbles is at the three-minute mark.
Was I a bit premature when I predicted that Jalen Milroe would take over as the Seahawks' backup quarterback by midseason? Yeah, probably. No matter what happens to Darnold, I wouldn't throw Milroe into the fire like the Colts did with Richardson. But no matter what, at least the rookie won't be my next Eddie Lacy.
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