Commanders' Sam Howell Putting 'Best Foot Forward' In QB1 Battle
Washington Commanders second-year quarterback Sam Howell is in an unfamiliar position - fighting for the starting job under Eric Bieniemy. With the Commanders undergoing change at the position, it is Howell and veteran Jacoby Brissett who will battle it out during training camp.
For some, it is Howell's job to lose, and while OTA's, minicamp, and the start of training camp have yielded good results, the former North Carolina star is taking small steps and trying to be the best player he can be.
“I just try to do everything I can," Howell said. "I focus on myself and try to be the best player I can be whether I'm the third string or the starter, I'm still going to go about my business the same way and try and do everything I can to become the best player I can at that time. And put my best foot forward and try to give our team a chance to win.”
If Howell manages to show the coaching staff that he is the guy moving forward, it will be a big feather in his cap, considering he only has one career start to his name.
But it is worth keeping in mind that Rivera did state that the quarterback position is still one of the team's biggest question marks as training camp gets underway.
“I think more than anything else it will start with the quarterback position," Rivera said. "That’s about as big a question as it gets. Has [QB] Sam [Howell] grown and developed enough to help us take the next step? Is [QB] Jacoby [Brissett] ready to go and compete and if he gets that chance, will he take us up to the next level? It’s a big broad question but it does start with that position which is the biggest thing.”
So while Howell has the inside track to the starting job, it is anything but a formality, and he needs to do everything right in order to be starting Week 1.
So far, things have been positive, but as we know in the NFL, things can change rapidly, and for Howell, he simply needs to put his best foot forward, and the rest will take care of itself.
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