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The Seattle Seahawks could consider a trade for quarterback Jalen Milroe.
It may feel like a long time ago, but a good portion of the Seattle Seahawks offseason last summer was spent debating the team’s quarterback depth chart. Seattle signed Sam Darnold to replace Geno Smith, but also selected former Alabama star quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.
The move occurred a little more than one month after Seattle signed Darnold. Seattle discussed how the franchise planned to utilize Milroe right away in select packages.
Darnold was clearly the team’s QB1, but there was a plausible scenario where Milroe impressed and overtook the veteran as the Seahawks QB1 by the end of the 2025 season. This does not appear to be happening any time soon as Darnold led the team to the Super Bowl, prompting speculation about what the front office will do with Milroe.
It is a pertinent question given Drew Lock served as the Seahawks backup quarterback last season, putting Milroe a distant third on the depth chart.
Let’s dive into the latest Seahawks rumors about a potential trade.
Seahawks Rumors: NFL Trade Pitch Has Seattle Cut Ties With QB Jalen Milroe in Deal With the Dolphins
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine outlined a potential trade for every NFL team just weeks before free agency begins. The analyst has the Seahawks cutting ties with Milroe in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 75 overall) from the Miami Dolphins.
“It feels like Tua Tagovailoa’s time has come to an end in South Beach and Quinn Ewers didn’t do enough as a seventh-round rookie to secure the job next year,” Ballentine wrote in a February 20, 2026, story titled, “1 Trade We’d Like to See for Every NFL Team.”
“The only problem is the Dolphins have one of the worst cap situations in the league. That doesn’t even factor in the cap hit they could absorb if they move on from Tagovailoa,” Ballentine added.
“The Seahawks’ success with Sam Darnold this season leaves an unclear path to playing time for Jalen Milroe. The rookie has intriguing tools after running a 4.37 40-yard dash. That kind of electric athleticism combined with his passing is reminiscent of Malik Willis.”
The Seahawks Stopped Playing QB Jalen Milroe in October After an Alarming Fumble
Not only did Milroe not come close to replacing Darnold, but the rookie’s brief snaps were put to a halt after the signal-caller’s fumble during the Seahawks’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 5. There is still plenty to like about Milroe’s upside, but it is going to take some time before the dual-threat quarterback is ready to be an NFL starter.
Milroe still has an additional three seasons on a four-year, $6.2 million rookie contract. For now, Milroe is learning a lot from Lock and Darnold.
“They’ve been on multiple teams, and they’ve seen so many defenses,” Milroe said of Darnold and Lock, per Yahoo Sports. “With that experience, you’re able to teach, you’re able to be more confident, and you’re able to play much faster.”
Seattle has just four picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and dangling Milroe in a potential deal could be tempting. It still feels unlikely that the Seahawks would want to cut ties with Milroe so quickly, especially given an unfortunate injury could make the team’s backup quarterbacks even more relevant.
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
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