Commanders QB Sam Howell's Throw Has 'Fire,' Says Washington Legend

Washington legend Santana Moss had positive things to say about Commanders quarterback Sam Howell.

Jeremy Brener | May 27, 2023

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Washington Commanders

All eyes are on Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell this offseason.

The second-year pro has to prove himself if he wants to be the starting quarterback this season ... and in the years to come. But early returns show positive developments in his game, and he's catching the eye of a former Washington receiver in particular.

Santana Moss knows a thing or two about catching passes from quarterbacks, and he's monitored Howell's progress during the early part of OTA's. It's safe to say that Moss is impressed with Howell's throw.

"That ball comes off his hand with a little fire," Moss said via NBC Sports reporter JP Finlay. "I love just to know that Howell has a little zip on that ball and he also has some game behind it."

Howell needs to have that zip in order to distribute the ball around the high-powered offense with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson catching passes from him.

Howell may not have the most orthodox road towards becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL. Very few fifth-round picks end up becoming franchise quarterbacks. The last fifth-round pick to have a long-term starting role as a quarterback in the NFL was Mark Brunell, who was drafted in 1993.

However, Howell has the physical tools and the throw capable to be the guy. Now, it's just a matter of whether that can translate consistently enough during a game.

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Published May 27, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.