Sam Howell standing out as part of the Washington Commanders' future

By Ralph Vacchiano
FOX Sports NFC East Writer

For a change, there is no quarterback controversy in Washington. 

The Commanders are fully committed to Carson Wentz. They've invested in him financially and emotionally. He is their unquestioned starter. And last year's starter, Taylor Heinicke, is the clear No. 2.

But that's for this year.

Lurking behind both of them is a quarterback one college scout described to FOX Sports as "one of the steals of the draft," and he could end up impacting the Commanders' future plans. According to league sources, some NFL teams had a second-round grade on then-North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell before he slipped all the way to the top of the fifth round. That's when the Commanders, who weren't even looking for another QB at the time, pounced.

And this summer, they haven't been disappointed with that decision at all.

"He has a very bright future in this league," Washington coach Ron Rivera said after Howell played the entire preseason finale, a 17-15 loss in Baltimore. "He has a lot of growing to do. I know [offensive coordinator Scott Turner and quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese] will go through this with a fine-tooth comb and emphasize the things that he could've done better.

"But he was exciting to watch."

In that preseason finale, surrounded by mostly backups and players who won't make the final roster, Howell completed 24 of 35 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. He looked like he had command of the offense and didn't seem flustered at all.

That's likely the last time anyone will see Howell in a game for a long time, though. The Commanders are Wentz's team. They made that clear when they acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts and agreed to take on his $28.3 million cap hit this season. And Rivera quickly designated Heinicke, who started 15 games for Washington last season, as the primary backup. Rivera even called Wentz on Day 3 of the NFL Draft to tell him the Howell pick was "all about developing a young guy more so than anything else."

But the question is: For when? Wentz is only 30 years old, and the Commanders are hoping he can be their starter for years to come. But he notably didn't get a contract extension when Washington traded for him, and he has no guaranteed money left in either of the final two years of his current deal after this season.

That means the Commanders can cut him or trade him after 2022 if they decide they want to move on. And while they could turn to Heinicke if that happens, they've already moved on from him once, and his contract ends after this year.

Who knows what would happen if the Commanders decided to switch quarterbacks again in 2023? In this era where quarterback movement seems to dominate the offseason, anything — and anyone — is possible.

But there's no doubt that Washington lucked into an intriguing future option in Howell.

"With his talent, he should have never lasted that long in the draft," said another NFL scout. "That happens with quarterbacks. You don't take them high if you don't need them. But he was also inconsistent [in his final year at North Carolina]. There wasn't a lot [of talent] around him, but the knock on him was that the tools were there, but he just didn't look ready."

Howell didn't exactly light up the scoreboard during the preseason for the Commanders, but he certainly looked like he belonged in the league all summer long. He finished with decent stats — 43-of-69 (62.3%), 547 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while running 13 times for 94 yards. One scout who watched him complete 24 of 35 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens said he looked "generally comfortable" but held the ball in the pocket a little too long at times. 

"That's something all young quarterbacks go through," the scout said.

"I think I'm pretty poised in the pocket," Howell said after the game. "But it's just going to come with more reps and work."

Unfortunately for him, the time for more work is over. With the regular season looming, Howell will be limited to mostly scout-team reps in practice, like all third-string quarterbacks. He'll be inactive on game days, too, unless Wentz or Heinicke gets hurt. And even then, there's no guarantee the Commanders won't look to sign a veteran to dress for the games instead of him.

But the door is wide open for 2023 and beyond, especially if the Commanders' risky move to acquire Wentz doesn't pay off. Had the team been looking for a quarterback on draft day, even Rivera conceded that Howell "would've been somebody we considered very seriously" in earlier rounds. To get him with the 144th overall pick in the draft, Rivera said, was "a home run for us."

They're just not ready to circle the bases yet. The Commanders are playing a long game with Howell, who could be anything for them from a career third-stringer, to a future backup, to their quarterback of the future. A lot of things have to happen before his future in Washington becomes clear.

But based on how Howell performed this summer and how the Commanders seem to feel about their "steal," he's clearly a nice insurance policy for the franchise.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and the Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that he spent 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. He can be found on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.