The 49ers may laugh a bit at what's going on up north involving the Seahawks' post-draft situation at quarterback.
The San Francisco 49ers have no problem laughing at the Seattle Seahawks when one of their NFL Draft decisions backfire.
Now, it's pure speculation whether or not the Hawks' choice to grab Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Round 3 of the 2025 draft will follow such a course. After all, this year's crop of draft-eligible signal-callers was generally viewed as weak, and Seattle wasn't exactly in desperate need of a quarterback anyway.
At least not after trading away Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and then picking up former Niners and Minnesota Vikings hurler Sam Darnold on the free-agent market.
Still, the acquisition of Milroe is an interesting one, especially when one looks at the greater context.
Seahawks open the door for quarterback controversy after NFL Draft
No roster controversy is greater than a quarterback controversy, and that's precisely what the Seahawks invited by selecting Milroe within the top 100 picks.
Now, a third-round signal-caller doesn't exactly scream "day-one starter," of course, and the only other option under center behind Darnold at this point is the well-established backup, Drew Lock, who's back on his second tenure in the Pacific Northwest.
That said, the Hawks didn't exactly follow San Francisco's plan of finding a backup quarterback, grabbing someone like Kurtis Rourke in Round 7 to merely beef up the depth chart.
Darnold, who rode the coattails of his Pro Bowl 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings to a three-year, $100.5 million offseason deal with Seattle earlier this offseason, may or may not replicate that success in his new venue.
The acquisition of Milroe suggests the Seahawks are preparing for that possibility, which effectively means there'll be serious calls for the rookie to play much earlier than anticipated if Darnold ultimately flops. And remember, no one is more popular on a struggling team than the backup quarterback.
Perhaps that's a good thing for the Hawks. Perhaps it's not.
One thing is certain, though. The 49ers' longtime NFC West rivals are far from settled at the position, and their rookie draftee's selection fully indicates it.