Skip to main content

Commanders' Sam Howell a 'Starting-Caliber QB', Says NFL Analyst

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell will enter the NFL offseason with the hope of winning the starting job and for Daniel Jeremiah, he is the guy to take the team forward.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell had to sit and bide his time last season. With Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke given chances ahead of him, Howell had to sit and learn his craft during his rookie season.

His break came in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys after Washington was officially ruled out of playoff contention. Howell defeated Dallas 26-6 and looked good doing it.

But will he get the chance to become the starting quarterback next season? Every indicator points to that, and NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes that Howell is "the guy" for Washington.

"I think he's going to get every opportunity to win that job," Jeremiah said on NFL Network. "I think it's wrong to look at him as someone who wasn't a high draft pick, to me, someone that inexplicably fell in the draft and was a gift to Washington for where they were able to get him.

"I think he is a starting-caliber quarterback. He has talent, a big arm, can move around, and can make some plays with his legs. I think he's going to get every opportunity to win that starting job."

With Wentz and Heinicke no longer with the team, Washington signed Jacoby Brissett to back up Howell. While some think there will be a quarterback competition, for others, it is Howell's job to lose.

Brissett is a known commodity in NFL circles, but the Commanders need to know what they have in Howell. Jeremiah has high hopes for Howell entering next season, and if he can become the player that he thinks Howell can be, then the Commanders could potentially have their starting quarterback for the next decade.

From a fifth-round pick to a potential starting NFL quarterback, Howell has it all in front of him, and from reading the tea leaves, it is his job to lose.


Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Adam Schultz on Twitter

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the SI.com team page here