After spending the entire offseason in a quarterback battle, former Noth Carolina Tar Heels standout Sam Howell has officially been named the starter for the Washington Commanders.
Head coach Ron Rivera made the announcement to the media on Friday morning, just a few days before the team is set to face off against the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason. While Howell was taking reps all offseason, the Commanders brought in Jacoby Brissett to compete and push the second-year quarterback.
Howell made just one start in his rookie season a year ago, sitting behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. In that one start, he beat the Dallas Cowboys at home in Week 18 to close out the season.
The #Commanders have a QB1, officially: It’s Sam Howell, coach Ron Rivera announced.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2023
For the Commanders, they are putting their trust in the fifth-round pick from the 2023 NFL draft. Going into his third year at North Carolina, many projected Howell to be a late day 1 pick or even a day 2 pick, but he kept slipping until the Commanders took him.
Now, Howell has the chance to prove he belongs as a starting quarterback and potentially the future at the position.
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