Sam Howell Future - Washington Commanders to 'Settle' For QB in Draft?

With the Washington Commanders sitting at 4-9 and having a top draft pick in their grasp as it stands. With a loaded quarterback draft class, is Sam Howell's future as the starter uncertain?

When the decision was made to make Sam Howell the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders, many thought it was the right decision - give the young player a chance and see what the organization has got at the position.

Well, through 13 weeks, there have been ups and downs with Howell, which naturally comes with a player who hasn't even had 20 NFL starts. But given how the season has gone, particularly the last few weeks, has that changed how the organization sees Howell moving forward?

ESPN's John Keim thinks that given the uncertainty surrounding some positions within the organization, right now, it's up in the air.

"It's impossible to say, considering we don't yet know who will be in charge of that decision, Keim wrote. "At 4-9, the Commanders are trending toward having a new general manager and coach this offseason. Current coach Ron Rivera has said numerous times how much he believes in Howell and his future, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen has said multiple times Howell will be the quarterback for the next "five to 10 years."

"Washington currently projects to have the fourth overall pick, but even with that high selection, the Commanders might need to settle for the third-best quarterback in the draft with Chicago and New England likely having picks ahead of them."

Could the Commanders draft a quarterback to replace Sam Howell? / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

If things remain as they are, the Commanders will have a top draft pick to play with, and given that players like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix are all touted to go high in the draft, Washington could see one fall into their laps.

That then begs the question, what will the organization do? Will they use that pick to build around Howell and get him some help, or could they potentially get a star quarterback for the future?

NFL Mock Draft: Commanders Take QB?

What the franchise could look like in a few month's time might decide what they do going forward, but with Howell, the Commanders have, at times, looked good and, other times, not so good.

But if a top draft prospect is there for the taking, seeing what Washington does will make for fascinating viewing.