Sam Howell is set to join his fifth team since the 2023 campaign. The quarterback is signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A 2022 fifth-round pick by the Commanders, Howell made his first career NFL start against the Cowboys during the regular season finale of his rookie campaign. That next season, the North Carolina ended up being a full-time starter for Washington. He went 4-13 in his 17 starts, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and a league-leading 21 interceptions. He also showed some talent running the ball, compiling 263 yards and five touchdowns on 48 touches.
With the Commanders snagging Jayden Daniels with the second-overall pick of the 2024 draft, the team moved on from Howell, sending him to the Seahawks for mid-round pick swaps. He served as Geno Smith‘s primary backup during that 2024 campaign, getting into two total games. With Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, and rookie Jalen Milroe joining the squad last offseason, the Seahawks dealt him to the Vikings.
He didn’t make it to the regular season with his next squad, as Minnesota dealt Howell to the Eagles towards the end of the 2025 preseason. Tanner McKee was Jalen Hurts‘ primary backup last year, with Howell failing to get into a game.
Now, he’ll be joining another deep QB grouping in Dallas. He’ll be competing with Joe Milton and Will Grier to be Dak Prescott‘s primary backup in 2026.
Check Collector Howell
Hey, I think the guy is realistically one of the 60 best quarterbacks in football and he hasn’t gotten hurt a lot. Is that weak praise? You bet. But it also describes a guy who should be employed.
I think hes probably better than Milton and Grier and definitely deserves to be employed! Curious of the financials
Indeed lol
He will give Shotty the iggles offensive scheme during the off-season in preparation of the iggles
I think it was criminal that Washington allowed Sam to take 65 sacks in a season. How is a young QB expected to have any confidence left after that? Perhaps he can become a late bloomer but that probably won’t happen in Dallas.
That’s the part that’s often left out. Yes, a lot of those sacks were on Howell-but what kind of coach allows a young player who isn’t quite ready to go out there and sink, anyway? Washington didn’t even try to protect Howell, from pressure, to supporting cast, to (most importantly) the gameplan. It’s actually impressive that he managed to do what he did at all.
Because of all that, though, it’s hard to see him bouncing back. Stunting development on a player who becomes a throwaway can easily stunt that player’s chances at any growth at all. I wouldn’t have a ton of confidence that Howell develops into a top fifteen starter, but perhaps, in a better run system, he can at least be a serviceable spot starter.
You would of thought that the steelers would have had some interest