Commanders' Sam Howell Benching 'Just Part of The Process' Says Ron Rivera

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell was benched for the second consecutive week, but head coach Ron Rivera says it's all part of the process.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is in the midst of a tough period in his NFL career. Howell, who has shown promise this season as the team's starter, recently, his form line has been trending downwards.

As such, Howell has been benched in back-to-back weeks as Ron Rivera has had to make the tough call to make the second-year quarterback sit after two poor outings.

Against the New York Jets, Howell was taken out of the game and Rivera revealed that it was Jacoby Brisett's decisiveness last week that led to the decision.

“Yes and that's one of the things that you don't want Sam to overthink," Rivera said. "I mean he's had a lot of pressure, he's been trying to do a lot of things to make things happen and you can't fault him for that.”

Both Rivera and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had stated earlier in the week that Howell was "pressing" with his play and trying to force things too much, and that happened again against the Jets.

Dec 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) throws against the New York Jets in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium / Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Howell would complete just six of his 22 passes for 56 yards and two interceptions. In his last two games, Howell has statline doesn't make for good reading. He has completed 17 of his 48 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

For Rivera, Howell's benching for a second consecutive week is simply part of the process that the young quarterback has to go through, while also saying that the team will talk about his position going forward.

“We'll talk about those things," Rivera said. "We'll talk about just the opportunities he's had how much he's learned how much he's grown you know he's got to look at this as this is just part of the things you know the process to go through it.”

With the Commanders sitting at 4-11 on the season, there is nothing to play for, but Howell getting the experience of starting could prove beneficial. However, the downside is if he is thrown in the deep end when he is clearly struggling, things might go south really quickly.

Commanders to 'Evaluate Everything' at QB as Howell Benched vs. Jets

Washington has done a good job in the last two weeks of allowing Howell to play, and when he is really struggling, taking him out and letting him see how Brisset does things.

It has been a brutal last month for Howell and the Commanders, and unfortunately, as Rivera says, it's all part of the process to get to where Washington wants Howell to get to in order to be a productive NFL quarterback.