With Eric Bieniemy installed as Washington’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, the club has gone all-in with Sam Howell as its first-team quarterback during the offseason program.
Howell, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, made one start last year. But he’s done some good things during OTAs, according to Bieniemy.
“Well first of all, Sam’s a very competitive kid,” Bieniemy said in his Thursday press conference. “The thing I love about him, too, he’s smart, he understands some of the times when he’s making mistakes, and the only thing he wants to know is what can he do to get better. More than anything, I’m enjoying just watching him work and watching how he handles the highs and the lows — because you’re going to have some of that throughout the course of working during the offseason, just like you would if you were playing during the game.
“But the thing that I love about him is that he’s always staying steady. His demeanor does not change and he’s very, very competitive. And I will say this — he autocorrects himself as well, because he knows exactly what he did and what he should have done, which is a good thing.”
Howell completed 11-of-19 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his Week 18 start to end the 2022 season. He also rushed for 35 yards with a TD.
Head coach Ron Rivera said he can see Howell taking charge of the offense during practices. We’ll see how that translates to games, provided Howell is behind center Week One in September.
