The Commanders are sending Howell, a fourth-round draft pick and a sixth-rounder to the Seahawks in exchange for third and fifth-round draft choices, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. With Howell no longer in the mix, Washington figures to use the No. 2 overall pick in April's NFL Draft on a new franchise QB. Meanwhile, Howell, who started all 17 of the Commanders' regular-season games in 2023, fills the void created by Drew Lock's departure in free agency and gives the Seahawks an alternative to incumbent No. 1 signal-caller Geno Smith.
Unlock the latest Seattle Seahawks news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Sam Howell news
Team
Seattle Seahawks
Birthdate
9/16/2000 (23)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'1", 220 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 5; Pk (WAS)
Birthplace
Waynesville, NC, USA
Position
QB
College
North Carolina
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
Washington Commanders
2022-2024
(2 seasons)
It's the offseason! 😎
Check back next season for fresh
AI-powered projections.
Can't wait for more data?
Join dfsPro Daily for free
AI-powered Fantasy Picks
Year-Round.
The Commanders are sending Howell, a fourth-round draft pick and a sixth-rounder to the Seahawks in exchange for third and fifth-round draft choices, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. With Howell no longer in the mix, Washington figures to use the No. 2 overall pick in April's NFL Draft on a new franchise QB. Meanwhile, Howell, who started all 17 of the Commanders' regular-season games in 2023, fills the void created by Drew Lock's departure in free agency and gives the Seahawks an alternative to incumbent No. 1 signal-caller Geno Smith.
The Commanders' recent contract agreement with Marcus Mariota suggests Howell may be on the trade block, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. The other interpretation, which seems less likely, is that the Commanders will let Howell compete with Mariota for the starting job rather than drafting a quarterback early this April. The team owns the No. 2 overall pick, with most reports to date suggesting Washington will select either UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels. There was a point in 2023 when it looked like the Commanders might have found their franchise QB in Howell, but he then had a 4:12 TD:INT over the final seven games of the regular season while completing only 57.7 percent of his passes for 5.4 yards per attempt. Washington went 0-7 during that stretch. The 2022 fifth-round pick ended up starting all 17 games, but only because backup Jacoby Brissett suffered a hamstring injury in practice shortly after being promoted to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. Howell should have suitors if the Commanders decide to trade him, given that he has two years left on his rookie contract and averaged 278.3 passing yards and 1.7 TDs over the first 10 games of 2023. That said, the best he can likely hope for is a shot to compete with another player for a starting job.
Howell threw for 176 yards in the first half but had an ugly interception in the end zone on 1st-and-goal in the final seconds before halftime, leading to a 14-10 halftime deficit. He threw a 33-yard touchdown to Jahan Dotson to tie the score at 17 apiece in the third quarter. Howell moved the offense effectively and averaged 7.2 yards per pass while Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had just 220 yards on 44 pass attempts (5.0 Y/A). After throwing for 300-plus yards only once in his first eight NFL starts, Howell has hit that mark in each of his last two outings heading into a Week 10 trip to Seattle.
Howell enjoyed a career-best day in defeat, with both his yardage and touchdown totals serving as new single-game highs for the second-year signal-caller. Howell impressively spread the ball around to nine different targets, connecting with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Logan Thomas and Jamison Crowder for touchdown tosses of 26, 21, seven and 26 yards, respectively. However, Howell was unable to keep up with Jalen Hurts and his air attack in the fourth quarter, when Philadelphia outscored Washington by a 21-14 margin. The sophomore quarterback nevertheless should draw plenty of confidence from nearly knocking off the defending NFC champions for a second time this season and will next face the Patriots on the road in a Week 9 matchup.
After starting the season 2-0 with wins over the Cardinals and Broncos, the Commanders have dropped four of their last five, and Howell is on pace to absorb a record-breaking 97 sacks. The current record is 76 taken by David Carr in his 2002 rookie season with the Texans. Howell is simply holding onto the ball too long and led the Commanders to just seven points in Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Giants and backup QB Tyrod Taylor. If the losses keep piling up and Howell doesn't show improvement, Washington could turn to veteran Jacoby Brissett to stabilize the offense.