Seattle Seahawks VP of Player Personnel Expects Sam Howell to Be 'Key Contributor'

Sam Howell is expected to have a transformative year with the Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell makes a pass during an NFL football practice, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Renton, Wash. | AP Photo/John Froschauer

The Seattle Seahawks have Geno Smith as their franchise signal-caller, but they are bullish about the prospect of having Sam Howell alongside him in the quarterback room.

Howell, who turns 24 in September, was acquired in an offseason trade with the Washington Commanders, the team he started 17 games for last season.

Howell already has many fans in the building, including vice president of player personnel Trent Kirchner, who joined Locked On Seahawks to discuss the young quarterback among other topics.

"That's a position where you need to get teammates to buy into you," Kirchner said. "You want a guy that they can rally around, and Sam is exactly that type of guy that's a competitor. He's going to work his ass off and it's important to him. So those are kind of the things that drew us to him in the draft process. And then obviously, we were fortunate enough to acquire him in the offseason. He's going to be a key contributor and really help us out from a depth standpoint and also just help Geno [Smith].”

Howell was a fifth-round pick by the Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft, but it's clear he had an admirer from afar in the Seahawks. Now, he's in Seattle with a chance to do what he couldn't in Washington: become a successful starting quarterback.

Howell showed flashes of being a quality quarterback during his year as the starter in Washington, but ultimately things didn't work out because of his lackluster offensive line and a system that didn't quite fit him as well as it could have.

Now, Howell has a new coaching staff guiding him in Seattle and a veteran quarterback in Smith able to pave the way for when he eventually gets a chance to try and become the Seahawks' future at the position.