Commanders To Trade QB Sam Howell To Seahawks
With Marcus Mariota in place for the Commanders, Sam Howell will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2024. The latter quarterback has been traded to the Seahawks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Washington will send Howell along with a fourth- and sixth-round pick to Seattle. In return, the Seahawks will send a third- and fifth-round pick. All selections are in the upcoming draft. Mariota’s free agent signing suggested the Commanders would pair him with a rookie selected second overall in April. Doing so would have left Howell on the outside looking in, leading to questions about his future in the nation’s capital.
The Seahawks have (in incremental fashion) committed to veteran Geno Smith as their starter for 2024. The former Comeback Player of the Year earned a new deal last offseason as Seattle’s undisputed starter despite the presence of Drew Lock, a piece of the Russell Wilson trade. Smith will hold down first-team duties again this year, but he will have a new backup in place.
Lock took a one-year deal with the Giants, leaving Seattle in need of a QB2. Howell served that role for all but one week of his rookie year in 2022, but his play to close out the regular season informed the decision to release Carson Wentz. Then-head coach Ron Rivera showed confidence in Howell as the Commanders’ starter this past year, but that decision did not yield the desired results. The 23-year-old led the NFL in sacks taken and interceptions, seeing himself lifted mid-game on more than one occasion late in the campaign.
Still, Howell could profile as an option with some upside. The former fifth-rounder led the NFL in passing yards at one point during the 2023 campaign, one in which Washington fielded a less-than-stellar offensive line and posted a 4-13 record amidst struggles on defense. Rivera was fired, as expected, after the end of the season and Dan Quinn has been brought in to replace him. He and new general manager Adam Peters comprise a different regime than the one which drafted Howell, and they will now commit to whichever passer is added with the second overall pick in April.
Drake Maye – who replaced Howell as the starter at North Carolina – is one of the options Washington will likely have at No. 2 (with Caleb Williams presumed to be hear his name called first). LSU’s Jayden Daniels could also be the Commanders’ selection, but in any case the rookie passer will be positioned as a starter for the present and future given Mariota’s status as a backup during much of his post-Titans career. As a result of this deal, the Commanders will now own six of the top 100 picks in the upcoming draft.
Seattle, meanwhile, will have a Lock replacement on the books for at least two more years given the term remaining on Howell’s rookie pact. Smith is also under contract through 2025, but none of his base salary for that season is guaranteed. The Seahawks may have acquired the 33-year-old’s eventual replacement.
Teams Inquiring On Commanders’ No. 2 Overall Pick
Holding the No. 2 overall pick for a second time in five years, Washington has an opportunity it passed on in 2020. A quarterback should be expected to head to D.C. with that draft slot, but other teams are making early efforts to see if the Commanders are interested in moving the pick.
Multiple clubs have inquired about Washington’s interest in trading down from No. 2, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Some moving parts exist at quarterback, with some teams that lack top-three draft real estate needing to consider veteran options. But a couple of those teams figure to still need starter solutions — in the long term, at least — exiting free agency. That would naturally make the Commanders’ pick attractive, as this draft holds multiple non-Caleb Williams QB prospects expected to go early.
Heisman winner Jayden Daniels‘ stock is up, with Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com mock draft sending the LSU prospect to Washington. Drake Maye had stood as this class’ top non-Williams option for months, and while the ex-Sam Howell North Carolina teammate’s stock may not have definitively dropped to the point he is a threat to fall out of the top three, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has moved him down on his latest big board. Jeremiah places Maye at No. 5 and Daniels at 6, though QB demand figures to see both going off the board earlier.
The Commanders, of course, have hired Williams’ most recent position coach — Kliff Kingsbury — as OC. Some around the league believe Kingsbury brings strong Williams support, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, though that would not exactly matter barring a seeming Bears course change. For weeks, it is believed Chicago would need to receive a historic offer to part with the No. 1 pick for a second straight year. With all signs pointing to the team trading Justin Fields and going with Williams, Kingsbury’s interest in a reunion would be a moot subject.
None of the quarterbacks Washington chose in the first round in its modern history — Heath Shuler, Robert Griffin III and Dwayne Haskins — panned out, but it would still surprise to see a new regime pass on filling its QB need at No. 2. New football ops president Adam Peters is indeed likely to authorize a quarterback choice at 2, Vacchiano adds.
The team could collect a haul for that draft slot, as teams like the Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders — mentioned as being interested in Daniels — being among those who would stand to be interested in coming up for a passer. Though, it would be rather astounding if the Commanders did business with the Giants involving a pick this high. By trading down with anyone, the Commanders would be passing on a clear window to upgrade at the game’s premier position if they took the trade route. Early on, the 2025 class does not appear to be a QB-rich group. Even with Peters playing a role in the 49ers’ Trey Lance trade-up, the ensuing Brock Purdy flier probably should not be taken as an indication the new boss believes a quarterback can be a later-round addition.
As for the Commanders’ 17-game starter from last season, Vacchiano adds Howell will likely draw trade interest from several teams if Washington made him available. Peters spoke highly of Howell this week, and the 2022 fifth-rounder’s age (23) and contract status (two rookie-deal years remaining) would naturally make him appealing — even as a host of bridge- or backup-level QBs are set to be available soon. For now, Howell appears positioned to be the Commanders’ backup in 2024 — or at best likely to lose his job once the No. 2 overall pick is ready to play.
Washington passed on drafting a QB in 2020 due to having chosen Haskins 15th overall the year prior. The team left Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert on the board that year, choosing eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. It does not seem likely the NFC East franchise would make a similar move with the second overall choice this time.
Latest On Jets QB Zach Wilson
It was reported last month that the Jets plan to trade quarterback Zach Wilson, which was not at all surprising given Wilson’s largely disappointing three-year run with the club. Subsequent reports suggesting that the Wilson-Aaron Rodgers relationship was not in a good place, coupled with owner Woody Johnson‘s candid remarks about his team’s quarterback situation, underscored the likelihood of a Wilson exit.
To that end, Wilson himself has begun to evaluate trade options, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com recently detailed (subscription required). Gang Green selected Wilson in head coach Robert Saleh‘s first draft with the team, which means Wilson has never worked under an offensive-minded HC; per Fowler, the BYU product is interested in a bench boss with more of an offensive background. It is unclear whether the Jets have granted Wilson permission to seek a trade at this point, though the fact that Wilson is likely not near the top of the wishlist for QB-needy clubs means that a deal may not be consummated before the draft anyway.
Wilson, who will turn 25 before the start of the 2024 regular season, was supposed to serve as Rodgers’ backup in 2023. But when Rodgers’ season was cut short just four snaps into the campaign, Wilson was against thrust into the starting lineup. Playing behind an injury-riddled O-line and under an offensive coordinator (Nathaniel Hackett) who has been criticized for his inability to adequately adjust to the Rodgers injury, Wilson did not show much improvement over his prior work, completing 60.1% of his passes for eight TDs and seven interceptions. That amounted to a QBR of 30.6 (worst among primary starters) and a quarterback rating of 77.2 (third-worst). The Jets went 4-7 in his starts.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com thinks it is unlikely that the Jets will simply cut Wilson — aside from the embarrassment such a move would be for the team, a pre-June 1 cut would yield a dead money charge of over $11MM with no corresponding cap savings — though their trade return will obviously be limited. Cimini’s sources believe that Wilson will fetch a sixth- or seventh-round selection, and that a swap of middle-round picks is also a possibility. One exec also floated the idea of a conditional 2025 selection (with the condition being how many snaps Wilson takes for the acquiring team in 2024).
One way or another, it sounds as if Wilson has played his last snap for the Jets, as Johnson made it abundantly clear that New York will need a new No. 2 passer. Interestingly, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv writes that some within the organization are high on Commanders QB Sam Howell, who just finished a disappointing season of his own.
There is no indication that Washington, which is likely to select a top quarterback prospect with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is prepared to deal Howell, who led the league with 21 interceptions in 2023 but who did show flashes of high-end abiltity. The Commanders may prefer to hold on to the 2022 draftee in case their rookie passer is not immediately ready to take the reins, or simply to have a capable backup on hand. But if the team elects to move him, Hughes believes the Jets should pounce.
NFC East Notes: Commanders, QBs, Bieniemy, Cowboys, Smith, Saban, Giants
The Commanders centered their 2023 offseason on Sam Howell, who had played all of one game as a rookie. While the second-year passer showed some encouraging signs, the team was prepared to bench him for Jacoby Brissett late in the season. Howell did become the first Washington quarterback to go wire to wire as the starter since Kirk Cousins in 2017, but the team lost eight straight games to end the season. It remains likely the Commanders draft a QB at No. 2 overall rather than turn to Howell and perhaps another Brissett-level vet as competition, ESPN.com’s John Keim writes.
Washington held the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 but had just taken Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. This effectively took them out of the Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert sweepstakes, joining the Giants (who had chosen Daniel Jones in 2019) in that regard. Washington then took Chase Young. Timing was an issue for the team then, but Howell’s presence — especially with a new owner, HC and football ops boss in town — is unlikely to represent a sufficient deterrent to impede a QB investment this year. Two years remain on Howell’s rookie contract.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- With the Commanders being the seventh team to hire a head coach, and not doing so until Feb. 1, Eric Bieniemy received confirmation he was out late during this year’s hiring period. The one-and-done Commanders OC signed a multiyear deal in 2023, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the former HC interview mainstay could well take a year off — as money will continue to come in from Washington — and regroup for a 2025 return to the sideline. Bieniemy, 54, may be off the HC radar; but the longtime Chiefs assistant could well resurface as an OC candidate — particularly given this position’s turnover rate in recent years — in 2025. The possibility the Chiefs bring him back, as they did Matt Nagy, also should not be discounted.
- Over the past decade and change, the Cowboys have generally done well in the first round. They have landed a number of All-Pros — from Tyron Smith to Travis Frederick to Zack Martin to CeeDee Lamb to Micah Parsons — and a few other regular starters. Mazi Smith‘s trajectory is less certain to produce an impact player. Last year’s No. 26 overall pick played 304 defensive snaps as a rookie and logged only four in Dallas’ wild-card loss. Pro Football Focus rated the Michigan alum as one of the worst D-tackle regulars last season. The Cowboys were displeased Smith dropped around 20 pounds from his Combine weight (323) at points last season, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Drafted as a player who could potentially anchor the Cowboys’ interior D-line, Smith has work to do. The Cowboys also have starter Johnathan Hankins due for free agency in a few weeks.
- This can be field in the “what if?” department, but as the Giants interviewed Louis Riddick for their GM job — during the cycle that produced the Dave Gettleman hire — the ESPN talent/ex-NFL exec said (h/t Empire Sports Media’s Anthony Rivardo) he reached out to Nick Saban to gauge his interest in becoming the team’s head coach. The Giants interviewed Riddick in December 2017; the ex-Monday Night Football analyst had been up for a few GM jobs around that point. Riddick was also a defensive back during Saban’s tenure under Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the early 1990s. (Saban was the Browns’ DC from 1991-94.) The Alabama icon, who retired last month, was loosely connected to the Giants’ coaching job during the cycle that produced the Ben McAdoo promotion. Saban, who coached the Dolphins for two years (2005-06) before leaving for Tuscaloosa, was not interested in the Giants’ job during the cycle that ended with the Pat Shurmur hire in 2018.
Teams Interested In Ron Rivera; Two-Time HC Not Intending To Retire
Ron Rivera‘s second coaching stint did not go as well as his first. Washington did not finish over .500 in any of his four seasons, and the well-liked HC once again found himself on the outs after a new owner took over.
The former Panthers HC became one of the easiest firings to predict in many years, with Josh Harris allowing him to fire DC Jack Del Rio and coach out the season. Unlike Frank Reich, who is likely to retire, Rivera wants to coach again. After spending the past 13 seasons as a head coach, Rivera said he has options for 2024.
An HC path does not appear to exist for Rivera, but the 62-year-old coach said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) he has “several opportunities” but is determining the right one. Rivera confirmed he has spoken with multiple teams, but with seven clubs still searching for head coaches, it is still early in terms of staff openings. No HC or coordinator interview requests have come in for Rivera yet, but plenty of opportunities will soon open up. A senior defensive assistant-type role also could be in the cards.
Before Rivera became a head coach, he spent time as a defensive coordinator. He attracted HC interest after overseeing the Chargers’ defense from 2008-10; the ’10 unit ranked first overall. An ex-Bears linebacker, Rivera worked as Lovie Smith‘s DC from 2004-06, finishing out his second Chicago tenure in Super Bowl XLI. Rivera has been an NFL coach since 1997, beginning his run as a position coach in Andy Reid‘s first Eagles season (1999). Ex-Rivera coordinators Sean McDermott and Steve Wilks reside in prominent positions as well, forming potential landing spots.
Rivera received considerable power in Washington. The team gave him personnel authority to start his tenure, not hiring a GM for a year after its HC hire. Del Rio called defensive signals throughout his tenure, however, leaving Rivera as a CEO coach. Washington has since proceeded to prioritize its president of football operations position, which went to Adam Peters. Rivera prefers the GM-centric model Harris and Co. have launched.
“I would’ve loved a different model just because, in hindsight, now you really see how much more time you spend on personnel and as a coach, that’s not necessarily what you want to do,” Rivera said, via Keim. “What I really enjoyed more than anything else the last five weeks was just being right in the middle of everything. Now your only focus is just that one thing. That’s what you do; you want to teach.”
Regarding the Commanders’ on-field approach, Rivera second-guessed his Sam Howell strategy. The Commanders heaped praise upon the 2022 fifth-round pick during the ’23 offseason, starting it last January. Rivera proceeded this way despite the North Carolina alum effectively redshirting as a rookie before playing in the season finale. While Rivera still views Howell as a starter-caliber QB, he regrets anointing him early. That made it rather easy to predict the winner of the faux competition that formed between Howell and free agent pickup Jacoby Brissett.
“I took a big gamble. I put a lot on Sam, and I probably shouldn’t have put as much pressure on him, and I think that was probably one of the mistakes I made this year,” Rivera said. “He didn’t deserve to have that put on him. He’s a good young quarterback, has some talent and some ability and I think that’s something I should have backed off on.
“I should have kept emphasizing he was going to be the guy that got the first opportunity … just phrasing it that way would’ve taken a lot of pressure off of him, just kind of that he hadn’t been anointed.”
Howell’s starter season produced Washington’s first wire-to-wire QB starter since Kirk Cousins in 2017, but a lengthy losing streak secured the 4-13 Commanders the No. 2 overall pick. It should be expected the team will look closely into this year’s QB class, with mock drafts already sending Howell’s Tar Heels successor — Drake Maye — to the nation’s capital.
Commanders To Start Sam Howell In Week 17
DEC 30: Despite the Commanders seemingly moving towards Brissett as their starter at quarterback for the remainder of the season following two consecutive games in which Howell was benched, it looks like injuries will keep Howell in place under center for this weekend, at least. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Brissett will be sidelined in Week 17 with an aggravated hamstring injury. With Brissett out this week, Howell will return to the starting role. Practice squad pass Jake Fromm will be signed to the active roster in order to back up Howell against the 49ers.
Joining Fromm on the 53-man roster from the practice squad will be long snapper Tucker Addington and offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu. They will also be joined by safety Sean Chandler and cornerback Nick Whiteside, who will serve as standard gameday practice squad elevations tomorrow. Fromm, Addington, and Akingbulu will be filling the roster spots left vacant by offensive tackle Charles Leno, safety Percy Butler, and center Tyler Larsen, who were all placed on injured reserve today.
DEC 27: After an aggressive quarterback pursuit in 2022, the Commanders stood down this year and centered their offseason around Sam Howell‘s development. Howell has started throughout the season; that is about to change.
Washington has benched the second-year QB in back-to-back games, and after Jacoby Brissett provided a spark in each, Ron Rivera said the veteran will receive his first start of the season in Week 17. Brissett, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, has already started for four teams throughout his career. This will be Brissett’s 49th career start.
This decision can be interpreted in multiple ways. On one hand, Rivera is almost definitely coaching his final games with the Commanders. He has long been viewed as on his way out after his fourth season. Front office changes are also expected, so this staff’s view of Howell may not matter much. But the team has also been linked to pursuing another starter-caliber QB in 2024 to at least push Howell. The Patriots’ upset of the Broncos in Week 16 moved the 4-11 Commanders into the No. 3 draft slot, and with the Cardinals not certain to select a QB at No. 2 — where they currently reside — Washington could be in position to make a major investment in Josh Harris‘ first offseason running the show.
Brissett, 31, has started for the Patriots, Colts, Dolphins and Browns throughout an interesting eight-year career. He has been one of this era’s premier backups, being thrust into duty twice on short notice and again later due to Deshaun Watson‘s suspension. The Colts turned to Brissett soon after acquiring him via trade in 2017, with Andrew Luck‘s troublesome shoulder injury requiring a full-season absence. A better Brissett version resurfaced in 2019, when Luck abruptly retired. The Colts then gave their regularly used backup a two-year, $30MM extension. Brissett could not command those terms in 2021 (with the Dolphins) or ’22 (Browns), but he made 16 starts in that span.
The Commanders gave Brissett a one-year, $8MM deal in March. While the team held a competition for the starting job, the Howell praise that persisted during the offseason pointed to the second-year passer winning that battle. Howell has shown flashes, but after struggling during a Commanders six-game skid, the North Carolina product has encountered some early turbulence. Despite two games remaining, Howell has joined only Watson (2018) as QBs to be sacked at least 60 times in a season over the past 17 years. The North Carolina alum has been dropped 60 times this season. Howell also leads the NFL with 17 INTs.
This Brissett move likely ensures Howell will not move close to David Carr‘s single-season record for sacks taken (72 in 2002), but it also points him toward an uncertain path after making all 15 starts for the Commanders this season. The team initially turned to Howell in Week 18 of last season, with the rookie leapfrogging Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke on the depth chart. A new HC-GM combo will be poised to assess Howell in 2024.
Commanders Could Be In On USC QB Caleb Williams
While several items concerning the 2024 NFL Draft are still up in the air, the fact that USC quarterback Caleb Williams is considered a top prospect seems to have been set in stone for a little over a year now. With plenty of speculation leading into the new calendar year, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that “there’s some thought around the league that Washington is very interested in Caleb Williams.” 
Now, Williams is a popular bet to be the first name called in the draft as the No. 1 overall selection, a pick that the Commanders (4-11) are not currently in the position to make. That pick is currently owned by the Bears, who are in possession of the Panthers’ (2-13) first round selection. Carolina does not have the league’s worst record wrapped up, though. The Cardinals (3-12) could lose out and take the top spot should Carolina win a game. If Carolina wins out and Arizona wins a game, the Commanders and Patriots (4-11) could lose out and create a logjam at 4-13.
In the case that all four teams end up with the same record, the first tiebreaker is based on strength of schedule, with the team possessing the weakest strength of schedule getting the highest draft pick. Currently, the Commanders hold the weakest strength of schedule of those four teams, but with remaining games against the 49ers and Cowboys (the strongest remaining schedule in the league), that could change. Still, Washington holds an outside shot at possessing the top draft selection naturally.
If that doesn’t pan out, though, the Commanders could still attempt to acquire the pick in a trade. We saw the Panthers give up a bundle in order to obtain the top draft pick just last year. That bundle included a top player (D.J. Moore), two first-round picks (2023 & 2024), and two second-round picks (2023 & 2025). A similar bundle would be necessary in order for Washington to move up, though trading another top-five pick could help sweeten the pot on its own. The Commanders traded away a couple of top defenders in Montez Sweat and Chase Young before the deadline, so they’ve stocked up a few assets that they could deploy if necessary.
The bigger question comes with the team’s current quarterback situation. It was initially thought that the picks acquired in the above-mentioned trades would be used to build around second-year passer Sam Howell, whom most tabbed as the team’s next franchise quarterback. A month and a half later, though, and Howell has now been benched in two straight contests in favor of veteran Jacoby Brissett.
It’s become the popular opinion that Washington will be pursuing an addition to their quarterbacks room in the offseason. Many have called to watch the final two weeks of the regular season as an indicator for Howell’s future. Well, with Brissett set to start in Week 17, we may be seeing the end of Howell’s opportunity in Washington.
Enter Williams. A native of Washington, D.C., Williams has nearly guaranteed that he will be the top passer off the board, if not the top player off the board. It seems like, given the available options, the Commanders could certainly be all in on Williams given the chance. If Washington is unable to obtain the top pick and Williams is selected before they have a chance to draft him, North Carolina quarterback, and Howell’s former college teammate, Drake Maye would likely be the next top quarterback available in the draft, creating an interesting scenario in its own right.
Commanders Likely To Pursue Offseason QB Addition
2023 marked Sam Howell‘s first season as the full-time starter for the Commanders. His level of play has taken a downturn recently, meaning his grip on the No. 1 role heading into next season could be less tenuous than it was this past offseason.
The Commanders elected to release Carson Wentz after the 2022 campaign, and they declined to bring in an expensive addition to replace him. That decision – coupled with the lack of draft investment at the QB position – paved the way for Howell to spend the season atop the depth chart. The 2022 fifth-rounder has started every game this season, but the results have been varied.
Howell has thrown for 300 or more yards five times this year, showing signs of promise as a rusher by adding a pair of 35-plus-yard performances on the ground along the way. However, the North Carolina alum has thrown eight interceptions over the past five games, tossing only two touchdowns during that stretch. In each of the past two contests, veteran Jacoby Brissett has taken over for Howell and provided a spark on offense.
Given Howell’s inconsistent play, Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports the Commanders are likely to bring in competition for the starting role in the 2024 offseason. Brissett has logged 48 starts during his journeyman career, but he was always seen as an insurance policy more than a genuine threat to Howell for the No. 1 gig. The latter is not in danger of being let go, of course, since his rookie contract runs through 2025.
However, it would come as little surprise if Washington elected to hold an open competition under center this offseason. Brissett is a pending free agent, so the team will need to add another option at the position via trade, free agency or the draft if he is not retained. The 4-11 Commanders are on track to have a high first-round draft pick, but they may find themselves out of reach for top options Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
Another major factor in this situation, of course, is the uncertainty the Commanders face on the sidelines and in the front office. New owner Josh Harris is widely expected to dismiss head coach Ron Rivera, and general manager Martin Mayhew is also on the hot seat. New decision-makers will need to be in place before a direction is chosen as it pertains to the quarterback position.
In any event, the Commanders are projected to be among the league leaders in cap space this offseason, giving them flexibility ahead of an important roster-building stretch. Whether or not competition for Howell is brought in will be a key storyline in the nation’s capital.
Latest On Commanders’ Trades, Sam Howell
New Commanders owner Josh Harris played a major role in pushing the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades over the goal line. While Harris is believed to have made the push for Washington to trade one of its starting defensive ends and, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, explore moving both.
The team was not expected to trade both, but after the team dealt Sweat to the Bears for a second-round pick, calls kept coming in for Young. The Ravens pursued the former No. 2 overall pick, but it took only a third-round compensatory pick for the 49ers to acquire Young just before the deadline.
Ron Rivera was said to be onboard with this sell-off, though it is difficult to believe the fourth-year Washington HC was thrilled with losing his top two edge rushers as he attempts to make a case for a fifth season. But the Commanders did win their first game after the trades. Contractual resources will be allocated elsewhere in 2024, after a Young-or-Sweat decision — be it through free agency or the franchise tag — had loomed for years.
Rather than this being about acquiring Day 2 ammo to potentially trade up for a quarterback in 2024, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates there is a “strong” belief within the Commanders’ building Sam Howell is the team’s franchise quarterback (subscription required). These picks will presumably be used to build around the 2022 fifth-rounder.
It is not exactly ideal for ownership to be driving major trades, though it does frequently happen. And it certainly cannot be assumed Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew will be around to make the picks come April 2024. Both David Tepper and Rob Walton signed off on coach firings within their first 1 1/2 years on the job. The Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games, and Tepper canned Rivera after 12 in 2019. Rivera, who led Washington to the playoffs in 2020 but does not have a winning season with the team, may be on the verge of seeing another new owner fire him.
Even as he entered the season on a hot seat, Rivera stumped for Howell this offseason. After the Commanders made an aggressive Russell Wilson offer and were connected to just about every available QB in 2022 — in a process that ended with the trade for Carson Wentz — they stood down this offseason, centering their QB plan around Howell. Although Jacoby Brissett signed a one-year deal worth $8MM, Howell was always expected to be the starter. After winning the job, the North Carolina product has shown flashes (and a propensity to take sacks at a concerning rate) but has not exactly cemented himself as the long-term starter — especially if the 2024 Commanders feature a new coaching staff.
QBR slots Howell 20th. He leads the league in completions and is tied for the NFL high in interceptions (nine). Howell has completed 66.6% of his passes, at 7.0 yards per attempt, and posted 14 TD throws. Howell’s second half of the season could determine the team’s plans with the Sweat- and Young-obtained picks. For now, however, the plans are for Howell to stick around as the starter. These blueprints often change, and no team knows this better than the Commanders. Washington started seven Week 1 QBs from 2017-23. Only the Chargers (1987-93), Browns (2013-19) and Colts (2017-23) match this turnover rate in the Super Bowl era.
The Commanders started Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams at defensive end Sunday. Sweat made his Bears debut, after agreeing to a $24MM-per-year extension; Young is set to begin his 49ers run in Week 10. Washington will build its defensive line around Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne‘s big contracts, but the exits of both Young and Sweat will create a key need for the 2024 offseason.
QB Notes: Purdy, Murray, Colts, Love, Howell
Brock Purdy‘s sensational start to his career doubles as a win for the 49ers‘ scouting department. Had the team not used the 2022 draft’s final selection on the Iowa State quarterback, it would have needed to fend off multiple other clubs in the UDFA chase. The Vikings were prepared to make an aggressive pursuit of Purdy in the post-draft signing period, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes. Purdy said he was considering the Vikings, 49ers or Texans if he went undrafted.
Minnesota does not have a Kirk Cousins heir apparent lined up, though it did draft Jaren Hall this year, and has its longtime starter in a contract year. The Vikings also use a somewhat similar scheme compared to the 49ers, with the Sean McVay–Kyle Shanahan offenses derived from the Mike Shanahan–Gary Kubiak system. Purdy landing with Houston probably would not have been optimal, given the state of the organization at that point. Though, the Texans — who used Davis Mills and Kyle Allen as starters last year — would have presented by far the best chance for early playing time. Purdy’s seventh-round 49ers deal runs through 2025.
Here is the latest from the QB scene:
- Kyler Murray is not yet on the Cardinals‘ active roster, being designated for return off the PUP list last week. But the Cardinals took Murray off their injury report Thursday. While that opened the door to a possible Saturday activation for Week 8, the team lists the two-time Pro Bowler as doubtful for the Ravens matchup. Jonathan Gannon has said the Cards have a ramp-up period in mind for Murray, who is 10 1/2 months removed from his ACL tear. Week 9 or Week 10 have surfaced as windows for Murray’s re-emergence. Though Murray must be activated by Nov. 8 in order to play this season, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals start him immediately once he is activated or extend the final stretch of his recovery via more Joshua Dobbs starts.
- Anthony Richardson is not expected to require a second surgery to repair his AC joint injury. The Colts quarterback underwent surgery this week, and Jim Irsay said no new issues emerged during the procedure. Dr. Neil ElAttrache performed the surgery in Los Angeles, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. No timetable exists for Richardson’s return, per Irsay, but given the October operation, he should be ready for offseason work.
- Aaron Rodgers‘ first Packers season resulted in a 6-10 record, marking a significant step back after Brett Favre guided them to the 2007 NFC championship game. Rodgers finished 11th in QBR in 2008, which preceded an eight-year streak of Packer playoff berths. Through six games, Jordan Love sits 17th in QBR but ranks last among qualified starters in completion percentage (57.5). Green Bay has been outscored 63-6 over its past four first halves. After the Packers saw considerable strides from Love in 2022, leading to the Rodgers divorce, Matt LaFleur indicated (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky) the team’s confidence in the fourth-year QB is “not wavering one bit.” Love, who signed a half-measure extension this offseason to take the place of a fifth-year option, will almost definitely have this full season to prove himself. Barring a lackluster second half, should go into the offseason as the Packers’ 2024 starter.
- Ron Rivera was a bit less emphatic when assessing Sam Howell‘s status. The fourth-year Washington HC said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) he is committed to the 2022 fifth-round pick, but he “can’t predict the future.” Howell has shown flashes; he is also on pace to break the single-season record for sacks taken. David Carr‘s rookie year, with the expansion Texans, currently resides atop that list (76). Howell’s 40 through seven games lead the NFL by 12. Howell sits 25th in QBR. With Rivera’s job far less secure than LaFleur’s, it would not surprise if Jacoby Brissett saw time at some point. Though, the Commanders passed on pursuing upgrades this offseason out of a commitment to Howell, creating the perception of a long leash.