Seahawks rookie Jalen Milroe predicted to make first NFL start vs. 49ers

If everything goes according to plan, the Seattle Seahawks won't get a chance to see their rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe make his first NFL start at all this coming season. After signing a three-year, $100.5 million deal, Sam Darnold is the obvious favorite to line up Week 1 - and continue doing so as long as he's healthy and not totally bombing after that.

If something goes wrong with Darnold, the next man up is not Milroe as many analysts seem to be expecting, but rather veteran Drew Lock, who's returned to Seattle on a one-year deal after spending a season with the Giants.

The Seahawks apparently plan to use Milroe in certain packages but we likely won't see Milroe making his first actual start for a while.

According to a new prediction from Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut, Milroe will make his debut in the team's final regular season game - on the road against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.

"The Seattle Seahawks have Drew Lock to turn to if Sam Darnold gets hurt, so that likely won’t be the path to Jalen Milroe making his first start. We’re also not counting a ‘start’ as Milroe being used as an offensive weapon or in a rotational role; it’s when he becomes the full-time starter. Once it becomes clear the Darnold deal didn’t work out and this team is eliminated from playoff contention, Milroe will get a shot to prove himself. After developing behind the scenes for months, Milroe will get a shot to showcase what he learned with a Week 18 start against the San Francisco 49ers."

While we are desperate to see Milroe in action in a real game - vanilla-defense preseason games don't count - this is pretty far from an ideal scenario for any rookie QB to make his true debut.

Last year we saw a diminished version of the Seahawks' most bitter rival, but the Niners are healthy again going into 2025 and once again the favorites to win the NFC West. A lot can happen over the course of a season, but if San Francisco's top pass rushers are remotely healthy and Seattle's offensive line hasn't dramatically improved then we'd rather not risk Milroe getting caught off guard and blasted from behind by Nick Bosa, which would involve a decent chance for an injury.

If it's clear that Darnold isn't the guy then Milroe is the clear favorite to start Week 1 of the 2026 season - and that's when he should make his debut - assuming the wheels don't fall off really, really early for the Seahawks.

Another full year to get up to speed at the NFL level and learn from veterans and coaches is probably a necessary step for Milroe to have any real success. His game is still extremely raw, which is why he wasn't a first or second-round pick despite being arguably the most gifted quarterback in his class.

The best way to ruin any QB is to put him into situations he's not prepared for - and starting against a brutal defensive front-7 with only one week of reps with the first-team offense is exactly that.

The Seahawks can't rush Milroe's first start no matter what happens with Darnold or Drew Lock - and it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend another offseason (actually) upgrading the offensive line before Milroe is thrown into action.

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