Across the NFL, players and teams are always looking for new ways to gain an edge.
For the Seattle Seahawks, one such path they’re exploring is virtual reality.
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Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, put the technology on the map when he attributed some of his success to training with VR headset simulation. According to Pro Football Network, Daniels sped up the simulator to 1.75 times the normal speed, which allowed him to read defenses and go through his progressions at a faster rate.
Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury compared it to pilots using flight simulators, per The Athletic.
At rookie minicamp this past weekend, rookie third-round quarterback Jalen Milroe said he also plans to train with a VR headset this offseason.
“My new head coach (Mike Macdonald), we talked about doing that,” Milroe said. “And so from now until game one, I’m going to utilize that.”
It might not be limited to just Milroe or the Seahawks’ quarterback room.
When asked this weekend about Milroe training with VR, Macdonald said it’s something the team is considering using with other positions too.
“We’re kind of in the exploratory mode right now on that and how that’s going to come to life,” Macdonald said. “… But that’s the intent right now is to kind of go down that road and see how it can help all our quarterbacks, and even other positions too. I mean, running back protections, punt protection. There is no end in sight with the possibilities, so that’s exciting.”
As Macdonald mentioned, one of the benefits of VR is the unlimited number of reps a player can take. That could be particularly valuable for a player like Milroe, who figures to enter the offseason program as the No. 3 QB on Seattle’s depth chart. That means he likely won’t get as many practice reps as presumptive starter Sam Darnold or backup Drew Lock.
“For Jalen and the quarterbacks specifically, you’re only going to get so many full-speed reps out there,” Macdonald said. “How do you change tempos? How do you do things like that where you can be creative where you can get these really great cheap reps, and you can stack those on top of each other, so when he does get his opportunities in practice, he can make the most of them?
“It seems like it’s all positive all the way around.”
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