Jalen Milroe closed Seattle’s preseason with what team reporters called the best showing of his young NFL career, delivering a performance that pushed the Seahawks’ quarterback conversation into sharper focus as roster decisions loom.
Milroe finished the game 16-of-26 for 223 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, added 20 rushing yards on seven carries and absorbed only one sack in a 9-9 tie with Kansas City. He worked comfortably through progressions on multiple drives, escaped pressure to hit a 26-yard pass to Emmanuel Henderson Jr. that set up a short-yardage opportunity, and later found tight end Nick Vannett for a 4-yard touchdown on third-and-goal.
The outing marked the first time Milroe looked consistently better than lower-string opposition, a step forward that contrasts with earlier preseason performances. The Seahawks selected Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft with the understanding that the dual-threat Alabama product needed refinement as a passer and in his decision-making; Friday’s tape suggested tangible progress in those areas.
Plays and Poise
Seattle’s offense benefited from moments when the offensive line gave Milroe time to work through reads, and Milroe used his mobility to extend plays and pick up yardage when pocket time evaporated.
Milroe’s composure on that sequence and throughout the night stood out: he consistently moved through progressions, placed the ball on time, and avoided turnovers against a Kansas City pass rush that generated pressure yet yielded only a single sack on him.
What this means for Seattle
As a third-string quarterback who opened the night as a full-game starter, Milroe’s showing complicates the evaluation process for Seattle’s final roster. Headtopics wrote that the performance was “a much-needed very good showing” that could ward off calls to waive him, while also framing the game as an important late audition for bubble players ahead of cut-down day. Those interpretations remain projections, but they reflect a tangible shift in the narrative around Milroe after Friday.
Mynorthwest Sports characterized the performance as Milroe’s best in the preseason and highlighted how his decisiveness and rhythm translated into cleaner reads and higher-percentage throws. Taken together, scouting notes and game tape suggest he showed measurable development in the areas the Seahawks identified when they drafted him.
Roster context and contrast
Seattle’s running game carried limited reps in the preseason; team starters Zach Charbonnet and rookie Jadarian Price missed the preseason with injuries, narrowing the live-action reps available to evaluate complementary pieces. Against that backdrop, Milroe’s ability to use his legs on a handful of designed and improvised runs provided additional evidence of his dual-threat toolkit.
On the other sideline, Kansas City provided the opposition; Milroe nonetheless delivered the best preseason performance of his young career, completing 16 of 26 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
There are still unanswered questions: Milroe remains a developmental player who needs continued repetition against NFL defenses, and roster construction will depend on the team’s plans for quarterback depth, special teams considerations and how coaching staff weigh experience versus upside. Headtopics projected that Friday’s performance could help alleviate concerns stemming from earlier preseason games, but framed that as a projection rather than a certainty.
For now, Milroe’s finale gives Seattle concrete tape to study. The work he put on film — the timing, accuracy on intermediate throws and willingness to use his legs to extend plays — gives the Seahawks’ decision-makers additional data points as they finalize the roster ahead of the regular season.
