The Washington Commanders like quarterback Sam Howell. Yes, we’ve heard if the Commanders hadn’t traded for Carson Wentz last offseason and gone with a cheap veteran to pair with a rookie, Howell would’ve been that rookie they targeted in the 2022 NFL draft.
We’ve heard head coach Ron Rivera mention the Commanders had a high grade on Howell, but why did they wait until the first pick of the fifth round to select him? That’s a fair question. However, the Commanders would tell you that selecting a quarterback high didn’t make sense, considering Washington sent a second-round pick in the same draft to the Colts for Wentz. And when Howell was available to them at that point, there was no way they were passing on him again.
Howell began his rookie season as the No. 3 quarterback. When Wentz went down with an injury in Week 6, Howell moved into the No. 2 spot behind Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke never missed a snap during Wentz’s absence, and when he returned, Howell returned to third on the depth chart.
Howell would eventually get a chance to play, starting in the Week 18 season finale. The Commanders dominated the Cowboys, and Howell played well. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown. While he wasn’t perfect, it was an encouraging debut that had teammates, coaches and fans excited about his future.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Howell’s defensive teammates were first impressed by him last season running the scout team.
For the Commanders, it was first what defensive players would tell their coaches when Howell was running the scout team, plus how the receivers would say he was throwing them open and using leverage against the defense. Then, when Wentz went on IR, and Howell became the backup, the staff got to see what he’d learned and how he’d self-correct. And then, finally, in the season finale against the Cowboys, all that those coaches had seen and heard came together to give way to the thought that Howell deserved a real shot. (There was also the fact that the Commanders had a second-/third-round grade on him in 2022, and that a couple of Washington scouts, before Howell dipped a little in his final college season, put 6.4 and 6.7 preseason grades—starter grades—on him.)
That’s a positive update. When the defensive players are speaking up for the young passer and the wide receivers, that shows there is a belief in Howell. Of course, that doesn’t mean things will work out, but there are reasons to believe in Howell.
