Kalen DeBoer needn’t hype Jalen Milroe to the moon. People get him. They get his athleticism, his potential, and his charismatic leadership. “Quarterbacks that extend the play are incredibly difficult to defend,” Seattle Seahawks HC Mike MacDonald said. And yeah, he’s talking about their No. 92 overall pick in the third round. Still, as his former HC, DeBoer didn’t remain stoic. He didn’t just praise the athleticism of Milroe, but painted the picture of a franchise cornerstone.

Kalen DeBoer joined Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain in their latest podcast episode live from the R&R Foundation Specialist Broadcast studio on April 28 to drop a love letter for Jalen Milroe. And the Seahawks better pay attention. “As a person, you got top tier, I mean first class in every way,” the Alabama HC said.

“He’s someone that the franchise is always going to be proud of and gonna lead him in the right direction. Community is gonna love being around this guy.” DeBoer also touched on the topic of people calling him a “polarizing” player. But he thinks it’s a good one. The smile, the swagger, the way people just feel about his presence, whether it’s signing autographs or interviews. That’s something you can’t coach. 

But here’s where it gets interesting. Kalen DeBoer dove into Jalen Milroe’s mindset, and that’s the separator. “I don’t know if he’s gonna be the first one, because I don’t want to slight the Seahawks organization, the players’ staff,” his former HC said. “But he’s going to be one of the first people in the facility every morning, and he’s going to pour everything into it every day. I think a lot of it is he just has this mindset that he’s not there yet. He’s not arrived. I think that’s the way it will be until the last day he plays his final game or downs of football.” And then he dropped the bomb. 

Jalen Milroe’s “superpower.” And it’s not about throwing, not even his arm talent. “The guy can do things with his feet running the football that you know unlike most quarterbacks and many tailbacks. And so that’s something,” DeBoer said. The 6’2, 217-pounder proved that when he rushed for 726 yards and 20 TDs in his final college season. Even Seattle GM John Schneider acknowledged it—“He’s an incredible athlete. Very, very fast. I think literally it’s 21.2 (mph) or something like that, his GPA speed.” Still, he’s going to have to wait in the wings, but Kalen DeBoer has some motivation with a Michael Penix Jr. comp. 

Kalen DeBoer brings up Michael Penix comp on Jalen Milroe situation

Kalen DeBoer knows Jalen Milroe would be “in the competition for the job” with Sam Darnold as the projected starter. As Mike MacDonald declared, “Sam’s going to take by far and away over 90% of our snaps this year. However, Jalen deserves and earns the right to go out there, then we’ll do that.” As DeBoer added, “I also know that it’ll be good for him to have that perspective.” He made a subtle but sharp point about how sitting back and watching helped his Washington QB early on. 

“It was really good for Michael to have some games, to sit back and kind of see it and feel it, and then you know, take advantage of his opportunity when it came home,” Kalen DeBoer said. He coached Michael Penix Jr. into a Heisman finalist and a first-round NFL draft pick by the Falcons. Still, he sat behind Kirk Cousins in Atlanta and was named the starter only after 14 games. He implied Jalen Milroe could follow a similar path. Learn, grow, and then explode when it’s time. And let’s be real, if the blueprint worked for Penix, why not for Milroe?

The new Seahawks QB is all in on that setup—“The best thing for any rookie quarterback is to have a veteran in the room.” The message is clear. Kalen DeBoer is giving the green light to the Seahawks to believe in Jalen Milroe. Maybe not as QB1 Day 1, but as a weapon, a competitor, and a future face of the franchise? Can’t sleep on it. If you are, wake up. Seattle could be in for a surprise as to what this dual-threat QB could bring to the table.