The Seattle Seahawks helped Geno Smith revitalize a seemingly dying career, but now they’re moving on to the next era, having traded the veteran QB to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. It initially seemed like the Sam Darnold era was getting underway after they signed the 2024 Pro Bowler to a three-year, $100.5 million deal early in free agency.
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However, it was later revealed that Darnold’s contract was structured in a very unique way. As it stands, the Seahawks could part ways with Darnold after just one year and $37.5 million. That left the door open for a young QB to step in, which is exactly what happened. Seattle used its third-round pick on Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, an athletic marvel.
Despite waiting until the third round to select him — and Darnold’s hefty salary for 2025 — the Seahawks are going all in on Milroe early in his Seattle tenure. They’ve already fitted the 22-year-old with some virtual reality tech. This new advancement in preparation lets him “sharpen his reads, timing, and decision-making” before even hitting the field in a Seahawks uniform.
Here’s how it was broken down by IDailyAthlete:
“The Seahawks are wasting no time in bringing Jalen Milroe up to speed literally. The rookie QB is now using virtual reality tech to sharpen his reads, timing, and decision-making. It’s a futuristic training method that’s already helped other young QBs like Jayden Daniels.”
“By simulating real defensive looks in a headset, Milroe can now take ‘mental reps’ without taking hits. It’s part of Seattle’s push to modernize their QB development and it shows how serious they are about building around him.”
That last bit is the most important. While they are paying Darnold a ton, it’s clear they are really excited about the possibility of unlocking a player with a ceiling as high as Milroe’s is. He can throw the ball a mile and sprint with the quickest of NFL players, but that mental side needs work. This is a way to bootstrap that part of his development.
It is a relatively new way to get your rookie QB started early, but it’s not unprecedented. Other young signal callers have started using it recently, too. Most notably, 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels has been using the technology since his days at LSU in 2023.
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If Milroe can get to a place where he can have a meteoric rise on par with what Daniels did as a rookie in 2024, the Seahawks would be quite pleased indeed. They would also definitely give those VR guys a great review, that’s for sure.
The Seahawks are clearly 100 percent in on Milroe, but when he will take the reins remains to be seen. Darnold isn’t getting paid the $50 million other top QBs are getting, but $37.5 million is not chump change.
Unless Darnold struggles, he is likely to hold the starting job for 2025 as Milroe develops both on the field and through his virtual reality reps. Then, 2026 could be the year of Milroe in the Pacific Northwest.
