Commander Country

Commanders Should Play QB Sam Howell Sunday vs. Cowboys

Sam Howell could make his NFL debut Sunday when the Washington Commanders host the Dallas Cowboys.

Jeremy Brener

The Washington Commanders are preparing for their final game of the season this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys.

Practice for the game began Wednesday morning, where it was reported that the team would play Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell in the finale.

However, if the Commanders want the most out of this "meaningless" game, giving Howell the ball is the only right move. The idea of that was seen in practice Wednesday, as Howell started receiving first-team reps before Heinicke or Carson Wentz.

If the Commanders really wanted Heinicke to play, the team should have started him instead of Wentz in last week's must-win game against the Cleveland Browns. Because the team lost, Washington was eliminated from playoff contention.

Howell, a fifth-round rookie yet to make his NFL debut, is the only quarterback under contract for the 2023 season. Heinicke is a free agent, while the Commanders can save over $26 million in cap space by trading or releasing Wentz this offseason ... a move that was almost guaranteed as he threw his three interceptions in Sunday's loss against the Browns.

While throwing Howell to the wolves against a stout Cowboys defense may be cruel, it could give the Commanders a chance to evaluate how far their rookie quarterback has made it before making any other decisions at the position this offseason.

The Commanders face the Cowboys Sunday at 4:25 p.m. inside FedEx Field.

Update: It was confirmed by head coach Rivera at Wednesday's press conference that Howell would start Sunday.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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