Not too long ago, Seattle looked at their quarterback room and went, “Yeah… let’s shake this whole thing up.” First move? They shipped Geno Smith off to the Raiders for a third-rounder. It wasn’t personal—just business. Geno had two solid years, but it was clear the Seahawks wanted a fresh vibe under the second-year head coach, Mike Macdonald. And with that move, the QB shuffle in the Pacific Northwest officially kicked off.

Next up, Sam Darnold rolled in with a $100.5 million contract and a Pro Bowl nod from his stint in Minnesota. Not exactly the name fans expected to headline a new era, but let’s be real—he balled out last year. Then came draft night. Jalen Milroe, Alabama’s dual-threat dynamo, slipped to pick No. 92, and Seattle didn’t hesitate. Milroe, fired up after being passed over by 31 teams, kept it short and spicy: “Belt to ass.” That’s the energy he’s bringing to the Pacific Northwest.

And it looks like the Seahawks are ready to move ahead with Darnold and Milroe (Drew Lock as well). The reason? Well, if the reports are accurate, then Seattle just waived quarterback Jaren Hall. Yeah, you read that right. And he’s not going alone. In addition to Hall, the Seahawks also parted ways with linebacker Michael Dowell, center Michael Novitsky, and outside linebacker Kenneth Odumegwu.

Seattle ditched these players after adding 11 players in the 2025 NFL draft, and ahead of adding a few more undrafted free agents later in the week. With four players now parted ways with the team, the Seahawks now have 74 players on their 90 player roster. Jaren Hall was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft with 164th overall pick.

The guy started a couple of games in Minnesota and went 13-of-20 for 168 yards and an interception before signing with the Seahawks on their practice squad in 2024. Speaking of Michael Dowell, the guy came in as an undrafted free agent, hung around on the Seahawks’ practice squad, and even locked in a reserve/future deal after the season. But yeah… now he’s been waived.

Then there’s Michael Novitsky, who’s been on Dowell’s boat. The guy also joined Mike Macdonald and Co. practice squad as an undrafted free agent, but fast forward to now, and he needs to grind to find a new team now. It’s tough. But that’s the business. Odumegwu (who’s a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program), indeed spent his rookie season (2023) in Green Bay.

However, the Packers waived him right after he wrapped up his rookie season in Green Bay. The guy spent the entire season on the practice squad. As for his last season, the 24-year-old LB spent his sophomore season on the practice squad as well—this time in Seattle. Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is in the rearview, the Seahawks are locking in for the season with their rookie QB in tow and Sam Darnold ready to roll.

Jalen Milroe is a QB, not a gadget guy

Back in 2012, the Seahawks used their third-round pick—75th overall—to grab a guy named Russell Wilson. The man showed up, beat out free agent Matt Flynn in training camp, and never looked back. Day one starter, Super Bowl champ, franchise legend. It was one of those rare “wait, did that just happen?” moments that changed everything in Seattle.

Now fast forward to 2025. The Seahawks spent another third-round pick—this time No. 92—on Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. And guess what? Just like back then, they also signed a free agent quarterback, Sam Darnold. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s giving serious déjà vu vibes. Only this time, it’s Mike Macdonald running the show instead of Pete Carroll. Could history repeat itself? Nah, it’s tough to say, considering Darnold is coming after a breakout season.

But the folks out there believe that, given that Milroe is known for a great running game, he could be used in place of Darnold, who is more of a traditional pocket passer. However, the head coach just confirmed that Milroe isn’t going to be your next Taysom Hill. You know, the Saints‘ utility player. “The way (the Saints) used (Hill) was more in a tight end-fullback hybrid role, sometimes taking snaps; Jalen is a quarterback through and through,” Macdonald said last week.

“He’s going to be trained to play quarterback for us. When he’s in there, he’s going to be playing quarterback. But the athleticism is going to come to life when he’s on the field.” See, the kind of seasons Milroe had in the past couple of years in Alabama, it’s unlikely the Seahawks would want to make Milroe a utility player.

However, with Darnold and Drew Lock already on the roster, it’s hard to pin down when and what sort of role Milroe would play in his rookie season under Mike Macdonald.