The Commanders officially acquired Carson Wentz in March, setting him up to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2022.
By all accounts, Wentz had a successful offseason program, with head coach Ron Rivera saying at the end of minicamp that the quarterback’s confidence was spreading to those around him.
But Wentz’s last two seasons have ended poorly, as he was benched by the Eagles for Jalen Hurts in 2020 and had a string of poor performances to finish 2021 with Indianapolis. So it’s not completely out of the question that the Commanders could turn to another signal-caller in 2022 if Wentz falters.
To that end, the club has Taylor Heinicke, who started 15 games last year after Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a season-ending hip injury in Week One. And Washington selected Sam Howell out of North Carolina in the fifth round of this year’s draft.
During the offseason program, offensive coordinator Scott Turner said Howell will receive opportunities. While it’s been a long time since Howell’s been a backup QB, he’s trying to learn as much as possible from Wentz and Heinicke.
“They’re both great guys. I’m just happy to be somewhere where there’s two really good quarterbacks in my room,” Howell said, via Ethan Cadeaux of NBCSportsWashington.com. “They’re helping me out a lot — they’ve given me a lot of good advice. They’re both really talented guys. I’m happy to be in the room with those guys and compete each and every day.”
As the third quarterback, Howell’s chances to make an impression will likely be limited, particularly with only three preseason games in August. But he appears willing to bide his time.
“For me, I’m just going to embrace my role,” Howell said. “Do everything I can to just try and get better each and every day. And when my name is called, I’ll be ready.”