Mike Macdonald tells Jalen Milroe “let’s go take another step” as Seahawks continue QB development

The Seattle Seahawks are pairing quarterback coaching with a clear message to Jalen Milroe. In remarks highlighted in a Yahoo Sports report on Aug. 16, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told Milroe, “Let’s go take another step,” framing the next stage of development as both achievable and necessary for the offense.

The context matters because Seattle’s choice of Milroe aligns with a notable franchise pattern. The report says the Seahawks used a third-round pick in 2025 to select Milroe, the same round the organization used 13 years earlier when it acquired Russell Wilson. That parallel is less about repeating history exactly and more about how the team has often viewed its quarterback growth timeline, with a willingness to invest value and then coach aggressively through the learning curve.

For Seattle, this kind of message is usually aimed at consistency. A quarterback’s “next step” in the NFL generally means doing the smaller things at a higher level, particularly in timing and decision-making: when to throw versus when to reset the play, how to process coverage quickly, and how to manage pressure without forcing throws. Macdonald’s wording, as reported, suggests the Seahawks are ready to see Milroe progress from potential to repeatable execution.

It also reflects how quarterback evaluation works when a team believes it can accelerate development with a stable coaching emphasis. Even when a team’s quarterback plan begins with a draft selection, the real work typically unfolds over training camp and the weeks that follow, as the coaching staff tests how a player learns under pressure and adapts to scheme demands. The Seahawks’ public emphasis on Milroe’s “next step” indicates that the organization is not treating him as a distant project.

The third-round comparison to Wilson adds another layer. Wilson’s early-Seahawks years are part of the franchise’s modern identity, and bringing up the same draft round in this moment is a way to connect Milroe’s path to the cultural memory of what Seattle has valued at the position. Still, the comparison should be treated as a framing device rather than a promise of identical outcomes.

For fans, the immediate takeaway is that Seattle’s quarterback room is being coached with momentum in mind. A statement like Macdonald’s can be read as a commitment to keeping Milroe on an upward trajectory through the season, rather than shifting focus away if progress is uneven early.

The next thing to watch is how that “step” shows up in day-to-day football details. Seattle will likely look for sharper rhythm in the passing game, cleaner decision-making in the middle of plays, and a more controlled response to defensive pressure. Those are the kinds of measurable changes that tend to confirm coaching messages like this are translating into performance.

If Milroe’s growth is sustained, the Seahawks can build a more stable offensive identity around his strengths. If not, the quote still serves a purpose, because it indicates the team’s internal baseline expectations: Milroe is being asked to move beyond the opening phase of development and into a more demanding role.