Mike Macdonald plans full-game look for Jalen Milroe in Seahawks’ Friday preseason finale vs. Chiefs

Seattle’s preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday will include a notable extended look at quarterback Jalen Milroe. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Thursday that Milroe will start and play for the full game, an indication the team wants one quarterback to get a complete evaluation run rather than splitting time behind him.

Macdonald’s message also suggested the rest of the depth chart will be handled with restraint. He said he does not plan to play the starters, which would place the focus of meaningful live reps on the evaluation group rather than a standard “first-team” approach. In that framework, Milroe’s full-game assignment stands out as the centerpiece of the game-plan from a personnel standpoint.

For the Seahawks, preseason work is typically less about results than about information: command at the line, decision-making under live pressure, and how the offense responds across early, middle, and late-game situations. By keeping Milroe in for the entire contest, Seattle increases the volume of those observations, including how the quarterback coordinates the huddle and adjusts reads as the defense’s personnel and coverages evolve over time.

The matchup also carries practical value for the coaching staff because it comes against an NFL opponent known for game-planning and in-game adjustments. Even with many starters expected to sit, a full quarterback workload against a quality defensive scheme is the kind of test teams use to sort preparation levels and identify which aspects of the offense are translating from practice to live snaps.

There is still an important caveat: a preseason game does not mirror the same risk calculus as the regular season, and teams frequently mix lineups and rotation patterns throughout. That means it is best to treat Milroe’s performance as a process evaluation rather than a definitive statement about Week 1 readiness or the long-term depth chart.

What to watch on Friday will be whether Milroe’s full-game workload shows consistent rhythm from start to finish, and how the Seahawks manage offensive sequences after halftime. With Macdonald indicating that starters will not be played, the quarterback and the offensive unit on the field will essentially become the primary measuring stick for Seattle’s preseason takeaways against Kansas City.