Seahawks' QB Milroe's leadership shines in first practice.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe speaks with reporters after his first practice with the team during a rookie mini-camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wash, on May 2, 2025. (Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)

RENTON, Wash. - Time will tell whether Jalen Milroe can become a legitimate NFL starting quarterback on the field for the Seattle Seahawks. But after his first day at rookie mini-camp, Milroe sounded like a veteran.

While press conferences don't win football games, Milroe's presence was undeniable. Coming from a top college program in Alabama, Milroe was comfortable in the moment and knows how to handle the spotlight.

"My goal, honestly, is to come in and be the best version of myself, be better than I was the day before," Milroe said on Friday. "Earn the trust and respect everyone in the organization, everyone from the top down, earn the trust and respect."

A quarterback has to be a leader and Milroe seems to have those traits in spades. He focused on the need to build a team and how no one person succeeds without help from others.

"I don't believe in the word self-made at all. It takes a team to accomplish anything that you want to accomplish," Milroe said as he credited his parents with instilling those beliefs in him.

The first practice of rookie mini-camp can appear wildly chaotic. Over 70 players hit the field together for the first time with hardly anyone carrying any experience at the professional level. Linebacker Jamie Sherriff and wide receiver John Rhys Plumlee were the only two players on the field that were in the NFL last season. They're both allowed to participate due to having practically no NFL service time under their belts.

Drills are new. Teammates are new. The playbook and coaches are new. And somehow, the group has to figure their new surroundings out on the fly.

For the quarterback leading the way, the challenge is even greater.

"You've got to be smart," Milroe said. "You got to be smart at the quarterback position, you got to prepare. You got to emphasize how much you love football and how much you care, because if you care it's going to it's going to wear off on other guys. … We're playing in NFL now. You got to play on time. You got to understand your assignment and so it's so important. So having that opportunity today and seeing that, I think that was something that was definitely evident when it comes to performing today."

Milroe said he had his new playbook by the end of last weekend's NFL Draft and has been working to get up to speed.

"You got to prepare. You got to study. You got to know it like the back of your hand," Milroe said. "And you got to study, you got to get extra time in with the coaches. One thing that's for certain, the meeting time is not enough for grasping the offense. You got to take extra time aside when you're not around the coaches, whether you're with your teammates, whether you're at home, always time to grow and learn the system, because when you know the system, when you have great preparation, you play even better, and it wears off on other guys."

Milroe's game on the field has its areas of concern over whether he can successfully translate to the NFL level. Scouting reports on Milroe's game question his throwing accuracy, footwork, and anticipation. But his exceptional athleticism gives his game a dynamism that will be tough to match if he can improve his weaknesses.

Milroe said he's planning to use virtual reality training tools after having a conversation with head coach Mike Macdonald. Additionally, Milroe has worked the last two years with former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer to drill on his mechanics.

"Everything works from the ground up at the quarterback position," Milroe said. "Understanding the lower-half mechanics of how I operate - every quarterback is different - and so doing a really deep understanding how my body functions at the quarterback position with throwing the ball, and so understanding how to distribute my body when it comes to the lower-half mechanics and things like that and it's been a focus for us. And so with that, it's all about being an efficient passer and so the more you work, the more you understand your body, you're going to be more of an efficient passer."

With nine of Seattle's 11 draft picks playing on the offensive side of the ball, Milroe is excited about the potential of the group to grow together into the future.

"It's so exciting, especially having practice today, like we have some talent on offense and it showed today," he said. "We have really, really good dudes in each room, a lot of talent, a lot of guys that love football, that care."

The Source: Information in this story is from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.