Getty QB Sam Howell of the North Carolina Tar Heels
Could another quarterback out of the University of North Carolina be the future of the Chicago Bears … again? It’s no secret that the Bears will be in the market for a potential franchise quarterback in the very near future, and it’s also no secret that the team may be sticking with veteran Nick Foles in 2021 due to contractual obligations.
With the best quarterbacks of the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft (Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson) all likely be top picked in the top 10 next year, it’s quite possible Chicago sticks with Foles and a cheap backup for the 2021 season and holds out for 2022, with the hopes of landing Sam Howell, the sophomore quarterback out of UNC who some are comparing — unjustly — fellow Tar Heels alum Mitch Trubisky.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Bears Newsletter!
Sam Howell vs Mitch Trubisky: These Are Very Different Players…
Howell and Trubisky went to North Carolina, and they are both mobile quarterbacks, so there been comparisons made between the two, but that’s about where the similarities end.
#Bears fans are going to be turned off by UNC quarterbacks, but Sam Howell is legit.
With his accuracy, poise and impressive deep touch, he’ll be in the running for QB1 in 2022. They’ll have their eyes on him if they pass on a QB this year. t.co/J2EERfyTjf
Howell is fresh from leading the No. 17 Tar Heels to a 62-26 win over No. 10 Miami (FL), and unlike Trubisky, he won the starting job at UNC as a freshman. Also unlike Mitch, Howell is already in his second full season with the team, and hasn’t been beaten out for the job by anyone else.
Howell has competed for 68.8 percent of his passes for 3,126 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. In 23 games through his first two seasons, he has a 64.4 percent completion percentage, 6,770 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and he also has 151 yards and five scores with his legs.
Trubisky had a solid season his senior year at North Carolina, but a huge difference between Howell and Trubisky is deep ball accuracy. In the last two seasons, Howell leads the NCAA in touchdowns over 20 yards.
Highest accurate pass % on 20+ yard throws
1⃣ Zach Wilson, BYU – 78%
2⃣ Sam Howell, UNC – 59%
3⃣ Trevor Lawrence, Clemson – 57%
4⃣ Kyle Trask, Florida – 53%
Most 20+ yard TDs over the past two seasons
1. Sam Howell – 30
2. Dillon Gabriel – 29
3. Justin Fields – 26
3. Joe Burrow – 26
Howell has also been excellent in the clutch this year — he’s currently the nation’s highest-rated quarterback in the fourth quarter and overtime. Combine his accuracy and experience alone, and he is already a far more attractive draft prospect than Trubisky ever was. His poise in the pocket is also far superior to Trubisky’s, and he doesn’t seem anywhere near as baffled by defensive approaches.
Highest-graded QBs in 4th quarter/overtime:
🔹 1. Sam Howell, UNC – 94.3
🔹 2. Zach Wilson, BYU – 93.1
🔹 3. Brennan Armstrong, Virginia – 91.3
🔹 4. Ian Book, Notre Dame – 85.7
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Bears Will Likely Have to Wait Until 2022 to Draft Howell
At present, all signs point to Howell entering the draft in 2022. Depending on what they do with Foles, it may behoove the Bears to use their first several draft picks this year to shore up their shoddy offensive line and then go all-in on a quarterback in 2022. If they do that, Howell will be one of the top targets at the position. Some fans and analysts are already urging Chicago to look Howell’s way.
Sam Howell is going to look so good in blue and orange come Fall 2022. #NDvsUNC
The UNC signal-caller also has several intriguing intangibles a team could build its franchise around. Here’s what Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus said about Howell heading into the season:
“Howell has some of the best pure arm strength in the entire country. In 2019, he threw it 40 yards downfield consistently like it was nothing and wouldn’t lose any zip on the ball when throwing on the run. Howell’s six touchdowns on 40-plus yard throws led the FBS, and his 15 touchdowns on 30-plus yard throws were five more than the next-highest player.”
The big-armed Howell has only been more impressive since that time, and it will be interesting to see where his path takes him — particularly if it takes him to the Windy City.
READ NEXT: Bears Should Have Made a Spectacle of Cutting This Player, Says Analyst