The Seahawks quarterback depth chart for 2026 is settled: Sam Darnold is the starter, Drew Lock is the backup and second-year man Jalen Milroe is the developmental QB3 – the exact order Seattle listed on its first unofficial depth chart of the season. Coming off a Super Bowl LX championship in which Darnold started all 17 regular-season games and every playoff contest, the Seahawks return their entire quarterback room intact, and there is no starting competition to track.
That makes this one of the simplest position groups on the roster – but not an uninteresting one. Lock’s veteran insurance, Milroe’s dual-threat development under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, and the question of whether Seattle ever unlocks a Milroe package all matter across a 17-game title defense.
The chart below covers the confirmed order, each quarterback’s contract and background, and how the 2026 snaps should actually distribute.
SEAHAWKS 2026
Seattle’s Quarterback Depth Chart
Darnold, Lock, Milroe – the champs return all three, in that order
QB1
Sam Darnold
Returning SB-winning starter
QB2
Drew Lock
Veteran backup, 28 starts
QB3
Jalen Milroe
Year-2 developmental athlete
ROOM SIZE
3
No competition for jobs
The Seahawks QB depth chart
Confirmed order from Seattle’s first 2026 unofficial depth chart
| Quarterback |
Role, contract and background |
| QB1: Sam Darnold |
The unquestioned starter, entering year two of a three-year, $100.5 million deal signed in 2025. Started all 17 regular-season games last season and every playoff game of Seattle’s Super Bowl LX-winning run – there is no starting competition in 2026 |
| QB2: Drew Lock |
The veteran backup in year two of a two-year, $5 million deal and his second stint in Seattle. A 2019 second-round pick with 28 career starts and 36 appearances (career: 59.6%, 6,354 yards, 34 TD, 28 INT), he threw just three passes in five 2025 appearances behind a durable Darnold |
| QB3: Jalen Milroe |
The 2025 third-round pick (No. 92) out of Alabama enters year two as the developmental QB3. His rookie usage was minimal, but his profile – 2,844 passing yards and 16 TD plus 726 rushing yards and 20 rushing TD in his final Alabama season – makes him the room’s designated athlete |
| Roster battle status |
There isn’t one: Seattle carries exactly three quarterbacks on the 90-man roster, and the depth chart order (Darnold-Lock-Milroe) matched expectations. The only real question is whether Milroe dresses on game days as the emergency third QB |
Expected 2026 usage
How the snaps should actually break down
| Scenario |
What to expect |
| Normal weeks |
Darnold takes every meaningful snap, as he did in 2025. Lock holds the clipboard; Milroe is the practice-squad-style developmental rep-taker who stays on the active roster |
| If Darnold misses time |
Lock starts – his 28 career starts and command of the offense make him the bridge – while Milroe’s athleticism could earn him situational packages, a wrinkle coordinators floated as far back as last season |
| Milroe packages |
Worth watching under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury: Milroe’s 20-touchdown rushing legs are a red-zone cheat code if Seattle ever chooses to use them, but nothing has been confirmed |
| The long game |
Milroe remains the only quarterback under team control beyond Darnold’s deal structure – his development is the quiet subplot of Seattle’s championship defense |
QB ROOM FACTS
Stability is the story
A year ago this room was brand new – Darnold, Lock and Milroe all arrived in the 2025 offseason. Twelve months and one Lombardi Trophy later, it returns fully intact.
Lock’s quiet value
Two completions all season sounds damning, but that’s the point: Darnold never missed a snap. Lock’s 1-1 record with 543 yards and 3 TD in his 2023 Seattle starts is the resume that matters if disaster hits.
Milroe’s runway
Seattle spent a Day 2 pick knowing Milroe was a project. Year two is when developmental quarterbacks typically flash in preseason – his August tape matters more than any August stat line.
Why This Room Stays Boring on Purpose
Championship teams protect continuity, and Seattle’s quarterback structure is continuity by design: a starter in his prime years on a $33.5 million average, a backup who has started meaningful games in this building, and a young athlete on a cheap rookie deal who never has to be rushed. The only genuine intrigue is developmental – Milroe’s preseason reps are his season, which is why his outings in games like tonight’s matter for evaluation without saying anything about the regular-season depth chart. For how teams handle these August evaluations, see our training camp and preseason explainer.
The Bottom Line
The Seahawks quarterback depth chart runs Darnold, Lock, Milroe – confirmed by the team’s own unofficial depth chart, unchanged from the Super Bowl run and unthreatened by any camp battle. Darnold takes the snaps, Lock provides the 28-start safety net, and Milroe develops behind them with the athletic ceiling that keeps the room’s future interesting. For the Seattle position group with genuine drama, see our Seahawks running back depth chart.
