Inside The Vikings

Vikings trade for QB Sam Howell in draft-day deal with Seahawks

The Vikings moved back in the fifth round of the draft and picked up a backup quarterback in the process.
Will Ragatz|
Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) signals to his team before a play in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) signals to his team before a play in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. | Casey Gower-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have acquired quarterback Sam Howell from the Seattle Seahawks in a draft-day trade, they announced on Saturday.

The Vikings traded the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round to the Seahawks for pick 172 and Howell. This news comes shortly after they took Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins with pick 139 to start the fifth round.

That answers Minnesota's backup QB question. Howell, 24, was a fifth-round pick by the Commanders out of North Carolina in 2022. He started all 17 games for Washington in 2023 and led the league in pass attempts and interceptions, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards with 21 touchdowns and 21 picks. He was also sacked an NFL-worst 65 times that season.

Howell was traded to the Seahawks in March 2024 and spent last season as their backup behind Geno Smith, appearing in two games. With Seattle acquiring Sam Darnold to be its new starter this year, signing Drew Lock to be his backup, and then drafting Alabama's Jalen Milroe as a developmental option, it became apparent that Howell was likely to be traded.

Minnesota has proven to be a good landing spot for any quarterback. Howell, who has a full season of NFL starting experience under his belt, can come in and learn under Kevin O'Connell while stepping into the role of J.J. McCarthy's backup. He gives them a higher floor than now-QB3 Brett Rypien if McCarthy has to miss any time in 2025.

Howell is set to make $1.1 million in the final year of his rookie deal. He'll be a free agent next spring.

The Vikings' backup QB question was one that lingered for a while after they watched Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Nick Mullens depart in free agency. There was the whole Aaron Rodgers drama for a while, plus speculative discussions about the unlikely possibility of a trade that would bring Kirk Cousins back to Minnesota. Now we have the answer.

In Howell, the Vikings land a backup QB who is still young but has experience and some arm talent for O'Connell and his staff to work with. It's a move that had been rumored for weeks and makes plenty of sense.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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