Commanders Still 'Making Assessments' on QB Competition, Says Ron Rivera

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has detailed that the battle for the starting quarterback role is still open despite Sam Howell leading the chase.

The Washington Commanders have a new quarterback room with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett doing battle this offseason.

With Howell reportedly on the inside track as he is getting the first crack at the starting job as OTA's have come and gone, and now Washington enters mandatory mini camp, he has shown his ability already.

But...does he still see it as a competition with Brissett in the background?

"I do," Rivera said. "Again, it's one of those things that just because I said he's gonna start off as QB1 doesn't mean he's gonna finish as QB1. I like to believe though that if he goes out and does the things he's capable of, he's got a very, very good chance of doing that.

"I think Jacoby has shown us some things that have really gotten people's attention. We talk about Jacoby almost as much as we talk about Sam. So I just think as we go through this process and until we play games, it'd be unfair to start making assessments. But again, there is a lot of confidence."

Under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, the Commanders have undergone change, and many expect an improvement on the 24th-ranked offense from last season under Scott Turner.

But with Howell taking the majority of first teams reps, is it still a competition if Brissett doesn't get his chance?

Well, for Rivera, getting Brissett involved in the first team needs discussing.

"Well, that'll be something that we'll sit down and talk about once we finish up," Rivera said. "I know [assistant head coach/offensive coordinator] Eric [Bieniemy] likes what he's seeing right now from both guys, and we'll just continue to work."

While the consensus is that Howell will be the Commanders starter come Week 1, there is still a long way to go in the battle, and it promises to be a must-watch storyline this offseason in the nation's capital.

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