Howell Gaining Interest as Draft Approaches

The Seahawks are open to trading Sam Howell and have already received inquiries from teams interested in acquiring their backup quarterback, sources told ESPN. This interest has emerged shortly after Seattle added Drew Lock last week, re-signing him—Geno Smith’s former backup—to potentially fill the same role behind their new starting quarterback, Sam Darnold.

Seattle originally acquired Howell in a trade last March with the Washington Commanders, surrendering third- and fifth-round draft picks in exchange for Howell and additional selections in the fourth and sixth rounds. Howell, 24, has had a mixed tenure with the Seahawks, showing flashes but overall remaining unremarkable throughout the offseason.

Drafted in the fifth round by Washington in 2022, Howell started all 17 games for the Commanders during the 2023 NFL season. Over the course of that year, he threw 21 touchdowns but also led the league with a troubling 21 interceptions. Additionally, Howell led the NFL in pass attempts with 612, completing 63.4% of those efforts for a total of 3,946 yards. Despite his heavy workload, the Commanders struggled overall, finishing with a 4–13 record. Following the disappointing season, Washington traded Howell to Seattle and used their second overall pick in the draft to select Jayden Daniels—safe to say, that was a good call.

It remains to be seen who is interested in Howell, and for what role. However, it’s expected that even a QB-needy team wouldn’t be willing to just hand him the keys to the organization without competition. On top of this, with the draft swiftly approaching, it may be difficult for those same QB-needy teams to take a swing on Howell when they can bring in someone of their choosing.