Former North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell is getting his shot to be the starter for the Washington Commanders as they opened up training camp this week. Howell enters camp as the starter and is trying to hold off veteran Jacoby Brissett this summer.
As the Commanders are looking for the future at the position, Howell is hoping to prove the doubters wrong. But the stakes are high in just his second year and the Commanders’ success will rely heavily on how Howell does.
Touchdown Wire recently listed five quarterbacks who will make or break their team’s season. And as you could guess, Howell was on that list:
If Sam Howell produces, the Commanders could sneakily be a playoff team. The former North Carolina quarterback was at one point projected to be a top five draft pick in 2021. Then, after playing a season in which all of the talent around him had left, his numbers took a small hit, and all of a sudden everyone was out on Sam Howell.
We only saw Howell once last season, and it came in the season finale against the Cowboys in a game Dallas couldn’t have been bothered to care about. He showed off his abilities as a deep ball passer, made a few rookie mistakes, but his athleticism shined in a Commanders win. Washington brought in veteran competition in the form of Jacoby Brissett, as well. We’ll have to see how the former fifth-round pick performs in preseason, but with the likes of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and a good defense to lean on, Howell could surprise many. If he does struggle, though, Washington will be in the market for a quarterback once again.
That’s a fair assessment on Howell as he is still young and unproven. But if he does become a good quarterback right away, the Commanders should find success this season.
There’s a lot of pressure on Howell going into 2023. Let’s hope he can handle it.
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