QB Jalen Milroe Won't Be Used Like Saints' Taysom Hill, Says Seahawks HC Macdonald

Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe will have the opportunity to have a unique role in the offense in his first year while playing behind veteran signal-caller Sam Darnold.

However, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald clarified to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar that it shouldn't be expected that Milroe will be deployed in a similar fashion to New Orleans Saints gadget player Taysom Hill.

"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. "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."

Milroe is considered a raw talent with astronomical athleticism who has the potential to be a successful dual-threat quarterback. Seattle used a third-round pick to select him, making him the fourth quarterback off the board.

Teams have historically created a package of plays for running quarterbacks, such as the San Francisco 49ers' approach to Trey Lance or, more recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers' use of Justin Fields during the 2024 season after Russell Wilson returned from injury. However, it appears that the Seahawks are determined to develop Milroe as a complete quarterback.

"Gadget players are fun, but high-level quarterback play can truly change a team’s fortunes. Milroe needs legitimate live reps to see if that’s what he can become," Dugar stated.