Former UNC quarterback Sam Howell started most of last year for the Washington Commanders, leading the NFL in passing yards at one point.
Howell struggled later in 2023, prompting Washington to bench him for Jacoby Brissett. The Commanders, who kept flip-flopping between Howell and Brissett, made it clear Howell wasn’t the franchise QB they selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Washington quickly decided they would look to the 2024 NFL Draft for its next franchise quarterback, opting to take Jayden Daniels out of LSU. This made Howell the odd man, so the Commanders traded him to the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle already has Geno Smith starting under center, but Howell’s strong preseason could force new Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald to make a tough decision.
In the Seahawks’ 16-15 loss at the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, August 17, Howell completed 11-of-14 passes for a game-high 153 yards and one touchdown.
Check out Howell’s first-quarter touchdown pass, which opened the scoring for both teams.
🎯 @Sam7Howell
📱: Stream #SEAvsTEN on #NFLPlus
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) August 17, 2024
Through two preseason games, Howell has 283 passing yards and two touchdowns. Howell is showcasing stellar accuracy, completing 27 of 41 passes.
It’s common for starters to sit the preseason until the third and final game, with coaches wisely not wanting their stars to risk injury.
While Geno should be the Week 1 guy in Seattle, Howell’s 2024 preseason and early 2023 success could be enough to land him the Seahawks’ starting gig.
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