Commanders Name QB Sam Howell Starter vs. Cowboys - Why?

With the decision now made, Sam Howell will be the Washington Commanders' starting quarterback in their final game of the season. But why?

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders entered the offseason prior to 2022 with one main objective. 

Find a No. 1 quarterback. 

One trade for veteran Carson Wentz, a draft pick spent on rookie Sam Howell, and 17 regular season weeks later, the question objective is left unchecked. 

And Washington head coach Ron Rivera is moving on to his eighth starting quarterback in three seasons, with Howell getting the nod for Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys.

"We're going to start Sam," coach Ron Rivera announced Wednesday. "I spoke with the coaches, talked with some of the team leaders...we feel that this is an opportunity to give Sam a chance to show us what he's capable of."

Rivera followed up by saying the team is "really intrigued" to see what Howell will bring to the field, and what that may mean for the future of the team. 

But he also clarified that there would be no full-scale decision about the quarterback's future made from one performance alone. 

So anyone who says there's nothing on the line in Week 18 for the Commanders isn't seeing the forest through the trees. 

No, Washington won't play beyond this weekend, and the Cowboys are playing postseason football regardless of what happens in FedEx Field. 

But the future of the franchise is very much up in the air, as is the state of the roster. 

And so is the status of Howell's career trajectory. 

Being a potential long-term starter playing the game's most important position, we'd say that matters. 

It matters a lot.

Howell was projected by most to be a Day 1 NFL Draft pick coming out of his junior season at North Carolina. 

But after losing all of his weapons prior to his senior season, Howell returned to a mostly empty cupboard, and it hurt his draft status. 

Ultimately, the Commanders got him in the fifth round. 

A bargain compared to the cost he would've carried just one year prior. 

Some 2023 rookie quarterbacks have had seasons to remember. 

Kenny Pickett has the Pittsburgh Steelers on the cusp of an unlikely playoff berth. 

While Brock Purdy has gone from 'Mr. Irrelevant' to the next big thing stepping in for injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with the San Francisco 49ers. 

As Washington turns to Howell this final week, they're hoping he'll go from 5th Round pick to their 'Mr. Hope For The Future'. 

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82 and on the Locked On Commanders podcast.

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