The Seahawks want the rest of the NFL to know: You’re going to have to prepare to defend a new dimension at quarterback against Seattle this season.
Coach Mike Macdonald for the first time blared that clearly for the league to hear: Rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe, a run-pass threat, will have a package of plays specially designed for his skills in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s game plans each week this season.
“We’re going to have plays in game plans for Jalen, and he’s going to rep those with the ones,” Macdonald said of regular-season practices.
“Ones” means the starting, first-team offense.
This was obvious with each day of training-camp practices this month. Kubiak had Milroe running plays — usually running plays — starter Sam Darnold and backup quarterback Drew Lock were not running.
Monday was the first time Macdonald flatly stated the Seahawks will have a Milroe package. Now the San Francisco 49ers for week one, the Pittsburgh Steelers for week two and the rest of Seattle’s opponents need to prepare for that dimension the Seahawks haven’t had at quarterback
Milroe, the third-round draft choice from Alabama, entered with the starting offense on Seattle’s opening drive in the team’s second preseason game against Kansas City Aug. 15. He replaced starting quarterback Sam Darnold for a third-and-1 play. The 216-pound QB who had 32 rushing touchdowns his final two seasons at Alabama ran a “Tush Push” play up the middle for a 2-yard gain and first down.
Kubiak has also had Milroe run a read-option play, quarterback lead power on the goal line and other designed QB runs while the rookie played in all three preseason games ending Saturday when he started and played the entire exhibition in Green Bay.
“However we build the package for him going into games, he needs those reps in walk-through and full speed. So that’s going to be important,” Macdonald said.
“How we do it, who gets how many reps (in practice) — obviously Sam, it starts with how many reps he needs to get ready, and we’ll work off from there.”
Milroe is only the third quarterback John Schneider has selected in 16 drafts as Seahawks general manager. He’s a longer-term project as an NFL passer, for accuracy that he needs to development.
But he’s a now option as a runner and playmaker in short-yardage and red-zone situations, two areas the Seahawks struggled mightily last season on offense while missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Macdonald’s pronouncement Monday follows what Milroe said in Green Bay after the preseason finale Saturday: The coaches trust him.
“I am going to keep on preparing,” Milroe said. “I know that the coaching staff is very confident in me.
“When you have a coaching staff like that, it makes you excited to go back to work.”