Howell is expected to enter the offseason program as Washington's top quarterback but could face competition from free-agent signing Jacoby Brissett, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official website reports.
What it means:
Brissett is a solid backup, but it's good news for Howell if this is the only significant competition brought in during the offseason. The Commanders could still draft a quarterback, of course, but they seem to be high on their 2022 fifth-round pick after his strong showing last preseason and solid outing Week 18 against the Cowboys. While not exactly fleet of foot, the densely built Howell (6-1, 220) ran for 828 yards and 11 TDs his final season at UNC, then had 94 rushing yards last preseason and 35 yards and a TD in his lone regular-season appearance. The mobility should keep him in QB2 range, at least, if he holds on to the top spot on the depth chart, and he'll also benefit from a talented WR room featuring Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel (assuming Samuel isn't a cap casualty this offseason; a move that would save Washington around $10.5 million).
Sam Howell in lead for Commanders starting job
What it means:
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell will enter the offseason program as the frontrunner for the starting job, per head coach Ron Rivera.
Howell was drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round last year, but he was kept in the cupboard until making a meaningless start in the final game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding another 35 rushing yards and a score. Carson Wentz was cut on Monday and Taylor Heinicke is set to become an unrestricted free agent, so Howell's only competition is Jake Fromm for the moment. The Commanders will likely bring in a veteran quarterback at some point during the offseason.
Howell averaged negative-0.21 Passing Net Expected Points per dropback last season and ranked ninth-worst out of the 70 quarterbacks with 20-plus attempts. Heinicke and Wentz both averaged negative-0.02 Passing NEP per attempt, tying for 40th in that group.
Coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday that Howell will be the "quarterback to beat" during the offseason program, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
What it means:
A 2022 fifth-round pick, Howell was a healthy scratch for the majority of his rookie season, but he served as Washington's starting QB in Week 18 against the Cowboys, completing 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception while taking five carries for 35 yards and another score in a 26-6 win. Considering Rivera's comments, the Commanders don't seem poised to make a big offseason splash at signal-caller this offseason after bringing on Carson Wentz last March. While Wentz is under contract for 2023, the team can move on from him without any dead-cap hit. As for Washington's other 2022 quarterbacks, Taylor Heinicke will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so if the team cuts Wentz, Howell's only competition for reps this spring and summer will be Jake Fromm, barring further additions to the group.
Howell completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown with an interception in Sunday's 26-6 win over the Cowboys. He added 35 rushing yards and a TD on five carries.
What it means:
The rookie quarterback tossed a bad red-zone pick early in the second quarter when the outcome of the game was still in doubt, but otherwise Howell was solid in his first career NFL start, hitting Terry McLaurin for his first passing TD in the first quarter and then running one in from nine yards out in the third. Carson Wentz has no more guaranteed money remaining on his current contract and is a candidate to be released, and Taylor Heinicke is a free agent in the offseason, so Howell could well find himself the starting QB for Washington to begin the 2023 campaign if the team doesn't pursue an established veteran.
Sam Howell named Commanders' Week 18 starter
What it means:
Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Sam Howell will start Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, head coach Ron Rivera announced.
Howell will start in his NFL debut and Taylor Heinicke will be the backup. Carson Wentz is expected to be a healthy scratch. In three preseason games, Howell completed 43 of 69 attempts for 547 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 13 times for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Howell showed some sneaky fantasy potential in the preseason, with a 10.3-yard average depth of target and the rushing production, but he will have a much tougher opponent in Week 18. The Cowboys have the No. 5 pass defense and No. 3 overall defense in numberFire's season-long adjusted team rankings. Dallas is also allowing the seventh-fewest FanDuel points per game to the quarterback position this season.
Howell will start Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
What it means:
Coach Ron Rivera made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, naming Taylor Heinicke as the backup while Carson Wentz figures to be a healthy scratch. Howell, a fifth-round rookie, completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 7.8 YPA this preseason, and a strong showing Sunday could help him get consideration for the Week 1 starting job in 2023.
