Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks took a gamble during the team’s final preseason game. Macdonald decided to bench his starting QB, Sam Darnold, in favor of his rookie, Jalen Milroe. What followed was a disappointing display, leading the 38-year-old to make a clear demand of Milroe.

Before the game against the Packers, Jalen Milroe had been given little time as the signal caller. He had managed just 107 passing yards and 56 rushing yards in two games. Considering he played backup to both Sam Darnold and Drew Lock, it isn’t surprising. Tonight, though, the stage was set for him, as he passed for 148 yards and registered a touchdown. A solid performance, but his display raised questions about his ability to protect the football.

Mike Macdonald pointed this out in the post-game presser and demanded that his rookie QB make “taking care of the football” a priority. After all, Milroe fumbled the football three times during the Seahawks’ 20-7 loss against the Packers. As such, he highlighted this when answering questions about Milroe’s performance, suggesting that it’s something to learn from. “There’s things we’re going to learn from. You know, taking care of the football is probably the number one thing, and he knows that and we’ll learn from it and grow from it,” said Macdonald.

The fumbles aside, Milroe was also sacked a whopping five times, suggesting that his ability to avoid pressure is questionable. Nevertheless, as Mike Macdonald stated, this was an important outing for the rookie. After all, he got some much-needed experience under his belt. “I think it’s definitely worth it to get him out there and have this experience. He’s definitely going to be able to build off this in the future,” claimed Macdonald.

It’s safe to say that Milroe has a long way to go and would do well to heed the advice of his head coach. However, he may have to keep a list, as this isn’t the first time Macdonald has given him some constructive criticism.

Mike Macdonald credits the QB coach for helping Jalen Milroe fix a significant issue

It’s clear to see that Mike Macdonald, like many Seahawks fans, has set the bar high for Jalen Milroe. However, while he expects the 22-year-old to reach incredible heights, his primary role is to serve as a coach. That means he is not one to shy away from giving his players a reality check whenever needed.

Such was the case last week, when he gave his two cents on Milroe’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite Milroe’s playing time being limited, Macdonald made note of some of the key areas the rookie could improve. “Operational errors” was one of the areas mentioned.

So, heading into tonight’s game, one can only assume that Macdonald was hoping to see some improvement in this area. Well, he got what he wanted and credited the Seahawks’ quarterback coach, Andrew Janocko, for getting the job done. “Yeah, it’s improved. It’s improved today. Andrew Janocko called the game on offense. Our quarterback coach. I thought he did a great job getting Jalen ready, and I thought, you know, for the most part, we operated right,” revealed Macdonald.

As mentioned earlier, Sam Darnold will be the starter for Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks. That being said, fans should keep an eye on Jalen Milroe. He has boatloads of potential, and Macdonald could look to nurture that by giving him some minutes later on in the 2025 NFL season.