Sam Howell started all 17 games at quarterback for the Commanders last season, but he’s not in line for the same role in 2024.
Howell was traded to the Seahawks this month and both head coach Mike Macdonald and General Manager John Schneider have made it clear that Geno Smith remains the starter in Seattle. During an appearance on Seattle Sports this week, Howell said he knows Smith is “still the guy” and said he will do all he can to support his new teammate as they move toward the season.
Howell also said he’s going to “try to do everything I can to just come in and work and just try to get better.” One area he’s going to focus on is ball security after throwing a league-high 21 interceptions last season.
“Obviously the interceptions, I’ve just got to do a better job,” Howell said. “There were some times where we were down in some games and I was just trying to be a little aggressive and at times maybe just tried to do a little too much, trying to give us a chance. But I’ve got to be smarter, got to play smarter football, got to play winning football. And at times I was doing it, so just doing it at a more consistent rate. And I feel confident about my ability to do that. It’s just a matter of if I get an opportunity I’ve got to go out there and show it.”
Howell was one of nine quarterbacks to start all 17 regular season games last season, so the chances he’ll get to play at some point are pretty good. If he can avoid the kinds of mistakes that helped sink the Commanders last year, he’ll likely get even more opportunities in the years to come.