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Drew Lock's decision-making drags down Seahawks' backup QB ranking

Was the Seattle Seahawks' reunion with backup quarterback Drew Lock truly in their best interest?
Aug 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) passes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) passes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Throughout seemingly the entire offseason, the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback situation has been under the microscope.

Obviously, there's a massive ongoing debate on whether or not new starting quarterback Sam Darnold - whom the Seahawks signed to a three-year deal worth more than $100 million this offseason - is the man for the job. However, their backup quarterback situation has also garnered a good deal of attention. Seattle brought in two new backups in Drew Lock, who returns to Seattle after a one-year stint with the New York Giants, and Jalen Milroe, a third-round pick out of Alabama.

The question is, how much can they really depend on their backups if needed?

Analyst shares mixed thoughts on Seahawks' backup QB situation

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock
Jun 11, 2025; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) looks to pass the ball during mini-camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Yardbarker recently went through each team's backup quarterback situation and gave them a rating from 1 to 5 (1 being the highest for some reason). For Seattle, Sterling Bennett seems optimistic about Milroe, but not so high on Lock.

"Rookie Milroe boosts the ranking, as his stellar speed can directly impact any game," Bennett wrote. "Lock is a serviceable option. The veteran is entering his second stint with the Seahawks. His decision-making is highly questionable, but he is an underrated passer."

Lock had an up-and-down showing in last week's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 12 of 22 passes for 122 yards, a touchdown and an interception. That interception, which came when he looked for rookie wide receiver Tory Horton on the sideline, put a damper on his whole performance, however.

Even if Lock isn't a world beater, he is still a serviceable option if Darnold goes down. Most importantly for him, he's back where he's happiest.

“This is a special place for me,” Lock said last week on Seattle Sports' "Bump & Stacy." “I loved this organization for the two years I was here. Love the city, my wife loves the city. But when we were prepping going against Mike Macdonald’s defense (with the Baltimore Ravens), we had a long week of talks about what we’re going to do, how we’re going to attack this. With him being here, you know your defense is going to come to play.

“Just the trajectory of this team, bringing Sam in, it’s just an exciting time here. It was something I couldn’t pass up.”

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.