The Seattle Seahawks face plenty of decisions heading into a crucial offseason as the team attempts to build a roster capable of repeating as Super Bowl champions. After years of questions surrounding the team’s starting quarterback, Sam Darnold has solidified himself as Seattle’s franchise signal-caller.
Darnold is no longer seeing ghosts while quieting questions about his ability to perform in the postseason with a strong NFL playoff performance, including one of the best games of his career in the team’s NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams. Things are less certain behind Darnold with both Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe.
Seattle selected Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, but the rookie was unable to unseat Lock as the Seahawks backup quarterback. Could Seattle look to change this reality in the coming months?
Here’s a look at why one analyst is labeling Lock as a potential cut candidate.
Seahawks Rumors: Seattle Could Cut Ties With QB Drew Lock, Says Analyst
Lock is on a manageable two-year, $5 million contract that is slated to run through the 2026 season. Seattle does have an out in Lock’s deal that would allow the Seahawks to cut ties with the signal-caller while only taking a $500,00 dead cap hit, per Spotrac.
Yet, Seattle already is projected to have more than $60 million in cap space. The Seahawks are not desperate to create cap space, especially given Lock has 41 games of NFL experience.
Pro Football Focus’ Thomas Valentine makes the argument for Lock being a potential cut candidate in his roundup for each NFL team ahead of free agency.
“The Seahawks don’t have any glaringly obvious cut candidates,” Valentine wrote in a March 2, 2026, story titled, “2026 NFL cut candidates for each team.” “They could move on from Anthony Bradford, who compiled a 48.9 PFF grade in 2025, but the 2023 fourth-round pick could yet improve.
“Moving on from backup quarterback Drew Lock could be a lever to pull to free up some cap space. Lock had just three pass attempts in 2025, and parting ways with him would save $2.25 million. The move would also allow 2025 third-round pick Jalen Milroe to take on the role as the team’s primary backup quarterback.”
Verdict: Seahawks Keep Drew Lock & Create Training Camp QB Competition With Jalen Milroe
The challenge is Milroe has not looked ready to be an NFL quarterback in limited action. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald had previously emphasized the team’s plans to use Milroe in select packages before halting this idea after a costly fumble back in October.
Chances are the Seahawks stick with Lock, and the pressure will be on Milroe to attempt to unseat the veteran as the team’s QB2 in a training camp battle. Darnold’s late-season injury scare ahead of the NFL playoff showed just how important the backup quarterback position is to a contender.
“I think Philip Rivers talked about it, but being able to look your kid in the eyes one day and know that, like, personally in your career, you battled the ups and downs, you enjoyed the success, learned from the defeats,” Lock reflected in a post-Super Bowl interview with New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard on February 8.
“Yeah, I want to look my kids in the eyes and tell them that, but I really wanted to do it for myself. I wanted to look back and be like, I gave everything I had to this sport. My family did everything they could for me to be where I’m at today.
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