Mike Macdonald Shares Jalen Milroe Plan for Cowboys vs. Seahawks

After the Seahawks wrapped up their 14th training camp session of the 2026 offseason, Mike Macdonald talked about the plan with quarterback usage in the preseason.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) rushes with the football during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

One of the most intriguing subplots of the 2026 preseason for the Seattle Seahawks is how Jalen Milroe will play. For the moment, he’s firmly the #3 QB on the depth chart, so there’s a pretty good chance the preseason will be his only opportunity to play. And even if that’s not the case, many of his chances will likely be trick plays and misdirections.

Macdonald is Working On a Plan

Coach Macdonald was asked about how playing time decisions are made in the preseason, where the team has both veteran Drew Lock and Milroe on the roster behind Sam Darnold, so the question is a bit more complicated than it might be on other teams that only have two. Macdonald kept it vague, but it sounds like we’ll see more Jalen this preseason.

Sounds like there may be more Jalen Milroe during the preseason than last year. Mike Macdonald explains they are figuring all that out right now. pic.twitter.com/E3mKsvMLAA

— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) August 10, 2026

“We’re working through that right now. I think we might take a little bit of a different approach this year on how we play our quarterbacks,” Macdonald said. “But Drew needs a lot of game work as well. Everybody needs work. So how do you do it? Even Sam.” While he doesn’t overtly say it, I suspect that the takeaway here is that Milroe might see more opportunities.

Back to the Past

Going back to 2025, Milroe was the most utilized quarterback across the three preseason games. He threw 39 passes against Lock’s 34 and Darnold’s 4, also throwing in 15 rushing attempts to Lock’s 5. If you want to take Macdonald’s words as an indication that Darnold might get more time instead, that’s valid, but my guess is we’re getting more Milroe.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) passes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Starting quarterbacks getting minimal throws in preseason is relatively common, and the Seattle offense is very similar to the one they had last year, so I don’t think Darnold needs much more than a couple drives. Milroe, on the other hand, needs the opportunity to show that he’s progressed from last preseason and might even be capable of playing now.

The Stakes

The Seahawks have a lot of draft picks in the upcoming 2027 draft, and there are some appealing quarterback prospects. If Milroe doesn’t show improvements this season, I wonder if the team might be motivated to pivot off of him and try to find a different developmental backup. And since he’s the third stringer right now, the preseason is his shot to do that.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If this team commits long-term to Sam Darnold this upcoming offseason, this might be a moot point. But I can’t help but feel that Milroe’s chances of being a part of this organization going forward hinge on him playing well this month. And it sounds like Mike will give him that chance.

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