Former Commanders QB may be on the move again this offseason

Things are not going well for the 2022 quarterback class, a group that includes former Washington Commanders' starter Sam Howell.

Of the nine quarterbacks taken, several have started, including Howell, who got 18 of them in his two years with the Commanders, but only Brock Purdy, who was the last one drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, is considered a starter today.

Last offseason, Washington traded Howell to the Seattle Seahawks along with two draft picks in exchange for two better selections. This offseason, according to a new ESPN report, Howell could be on the move again.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14). | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The report filed by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson says the Seahawks are open to trading Howell, "and have received inquiries from teams interested in acquiring their backup quarterback."

"That interest comes on the heels of the Seahawks adding Drew Lock last week, re-signing Geno Smith's former backup to potentially fill the same role behind new starter Sam Darnold. Jaren Hall is their fourth quarterback, giving Seattle a potential surplus at the position."

Of course, there's also the 2025 NFL Draft, where Seattle might find some motivation to draft a quarterback should one they covet fall down the board far enough, likely into Day 3. Every year teams consider undrafted free agents as well, and keeping Howell, who has the most trade potential of all the backups, just may not make sense.

When Howell was traded to the Seahawks from the Commanders there were reports that several teams had been involved in those talks as well.

Back in 2022, Howell had a Day 2 evaluation from most, but fell to Day 3 thanks to the poor reputation of the class as a whole and the fact that several teams who could have had interest in the quarterback filled those positions in the offseason.

That offseason, the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, the Indianapolis Colts traded for Matt Ryan, the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson, and the Commanders themselves traded for Carson Wentz.

A handful of other teams also acquired veteran backups that likely took Howell off their boards even as he slid while another team, the Atlanta Falcons, signed now Washington backup Marcus Mariota and eventually drafted Desmond Ridder ahead of Howell.

Of those teams, it is possible the Broncos could be interested in Howell coming in and competing as a backup to Bo Nix even though the staff that may have originally been interested in him is no longer with the team. The Colts are hoping Anthony Richardson pans out but have Daniel Jones as a veteran challenger and given the fact the team isn't likely going to keep both, grooming a backup for whichever one wins out wouldn't be a bad idea either. The Browns have already flung about as many quarterback guesses as they can at the position and are expected to draft one relatively high next weekend, while the Falcons are moving forward with Michael Penix Jr. while they look for a trade partner for Kirk Cousins, and could probably use a backup with starting experience as well.

So there are plenty of possible places Howell could land, and wherever he ends up, Commanders fans who once thought he might be the answer to their quarterback prayers will likely wish him the best. Unless, he's facing Washington, of course.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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