Mike Macdonald comments on Seahawks rookie Jalen Milroe's turnovers vs. Packers

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It was his turn as the team’s starting quarterback. First, the Seattle Seahawks faced the Las Vegas Raiders with backup Drew Lock in the opening lineup. They clashed with the Kansas City Chiefs and veteran Sam Darnold was the starter. On Saturday afternoon at Lambeau Field, former University of Alabama standout Jalen Milroe started vs. the Green Bay Packers.
There was some mediocre news, and some really bad news when it came to the play of the Seahawks’ rookie signal-caller in Saturday's loss. Milroe barely completed 50 percent of his passes (13-of-24). He threw for 148 yards and one score without an interception. He was head coach Mike Macdonald’s second-leading rusher in the game with 31 yards on seven attempts.
Jalen Milroe was mistake-prone vs. the Packers
Then there is the other ugly side of the story. Milroe absorbed five sacks. He fumbled three times and lost all three of those miscues. All told, the Seahawks fumbled five times, resulting in four turnovers in the 20-7 setback. Macdonald addressed Milroe’s performance vs. the Packers.
Here was Mike Macdonald to @gbellseattle about Jalen Milroe’s day. Said the biggest think he’ll learn from this game is the importance of taking care of the ball. He said Milroe improved operation-wise — getting to the right play and not flirting too much with the play clock. pic.twitter.com/JBP0dPDhpH
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 23, 2025
Wide receiver Jake Bobo muffed a punt late in the second quarter, eventually resulting in a Green Bay field goal. Meanwhile, Milroe’s first two turnovers, on back-to-back possessions in the first half, led to a field and a touchdown, respectively, by the Packers. The third turnover ended a promising drive by the Seahawks that had reached Green Bay 22-yard-line.
Mistakes were certainly a factor for Mike Macdonald’s club this past season. The Seahawks finished 2024 with a minus-6 turnover differential—tied for 23rd in the league. It was the worst turnover margin by an NFL team with a winning record this past season.
All told, Seattle’s gave up the ball 24 times in 17 games, 15 of those interceptions by since-traded quarterback Geno Smith. It was also seven more miscues (17) than Pete Carroll’s team committed the previous season. Macdonald’s club turned over the ball at least once in 13 of its 17 outings in 2024. That’s something that certainly needs to be corrected in ’25.
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Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.