The NFL is a brutal business. One day you’re a fifth-round pick with "developmental upside," and the next, you're looking for a job in the UFL. That’s the reality for Jaren Hall. Most people follow the big-name stars, but the story of why the Seattle Seahawks released Jaren Hall tells you everything you need to know about how modern front offices value the quarterback position.
Honestly, the writing was on the wall for a while. It wasn't just one bad practice or a single missed throw. It was a numbers game, and in Seattle, the numbers just didn't add up for the former BYU star. When the Seahawks waived Jaren Hall on April 29, 2025, it signaled a hard pivot in their roster construction.
The Numbers Game in the QB Room
Seattle didn't just wake up and decide to cut Hall. It was a calculated move that happened right after the 2025 NFL Draft. You have to look at who they brought in to understand why he became expendable.
The Seahawks drafted Jalen Milroe in the third round. That’s a high-value pick. When you spend that kind of draft capital on a guy with Milroe's dual-threat ceiling, someone has to go. Combine that with the presence of Sam Darnold and Drew Lock, and Hall was suddenly the fourth man in a room that only had space for three. Basically, the Seahawks prioritized a high-ceiling rookie and veteran stability over a "project" player who hadn't seen the field in Seattle.
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Hall's journey to the Pacific Northwest was a bit of a whirlwind. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him in the fifth round in 2023. He got some starts there after Kirk Cousins went down, but it was a mixed bag. He showed flashes—a few nice drives against Atlanta—but then a concussion and a rough outing against Green Bay cooled the hype. After Minnesota cut him in August 2024, Seattle grabbed him for the practice squad. He eventually earned a promotion to the 53-man roster late in the 2024 season, but he never actually took a snap for the Seahawks.
Why Jaren Hall Still Matters for Other Teams
Just because the Seahawks moved on doesn't mean Hall's football life is over. NFL scouts still remember his tape at BYU. In 2022, he put up 31 passing touchdowns and only six interceptions. That kind of efficiency is hard to ignore.
The problem is the "age" factor. Hall entered the league older than your typical rookie. He's 27 now, turning 28 soon. In the NFL, "potential" usually has an expiration date around age 26. Teams want to spend their development time on 21-year-olds, not guys approaching 30 who are still trying to figure out the speed of the pro game.
Still, there’s a nuance here. Hall isn't a "bust" in the traditional sense. He was a late-round flyer who did exactly what late-round flyers do: he provided depth and competed. The fact that he was released by the Seattle Seahawks is more of a reflection on their draft success with Milroe than it is a complete indictment of Hall's skill set.
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What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
NFL rosters are living organisms. When John Schneider and Mike Macdonald looked at the 90-man roster heading into the 2025 rookie minicamp, they needed spots. They waived four players on that Tuesday in April: Hall, linebacker Michael Dowell, center Michael Novitsky, and Kenneth Odumegwu.
It was a "cleansing" of the roster. By releasing Hall then, they gave him a chance to latched on somewhere else before training camps got into full swing. It’s a courtesy, in a way. Keeping him until August only to cut him when every other team has their depth chart set is worse.
The Jump to the UFL
Fast forward to January 2026, and we see where this road led. On January 12, 2026, Jaren Hall signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League.
This is actually the best thing that could happen for him. Sitting on a practice squad in Seattle or Minnesota is fine for the paycheck, but you don't get better by holding a clipboard. In the UFL, he gets to start. He gets to put fresh tape out there. If he lights it up in Birmingham, he could very well follow the path of guys like Tommy DeVito or Taylor Heinicke—players who used alternative leagues or "emergency" situations to prove they belong on an NFL 53-man roster.
Actionable Insights for Following the QB Market
If you're tracking players like Hall or looking at how NFL rosters evolve, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the "Third-Round" Rule: When a team drafts a quarterback in the first three rounds, it almost always results in the immediate release or trade of the previous "project" QB.
- The Age Ceiling: Be wary of "older" developmental prospects. If a QB hasn't secured a solid backup role by age 27, their chances of remaining in the NFL drop significantly.
- UFL as a Bridge: Don't view a move to the UFL as a retirement. For quarterbacks, it's often a "rehab" stint for their professional reputation.
- Post-Draft Waiver Wire: The week following the NFL Draft is the most volatile time for bottom-of-the-roster players. This is when teams "churn" the roster to make room for undrafted free agents (UDFAs) who they believe have higher ceilings.
Jaren Hall's time in Seattle was short and quiet, but his move to the Stallions keeps his NFL dream on life support for at least one more season.