Commanders QB Sam Howell Taking 'Bull by The Horns,' Says Terry McLaurin

Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin has been impressed by second-year quarterback Sam Howell.

Washington Commanders star Terry McLaurin has accumulated 4,281 receiving yards in four NFL seasons, despite having a musical chairs situation at quarterback. From that perspective, it's scary to think about what the Pro Bowl wideout could do with even a league average player under center, let alone a franchise quarterback. 

To that end, McLaurin says he's been impressed by second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who will almost certainly be the Week 1 starter for the Commanders this season. 

"He's taken the bull by the horns, and he's really led us a lot this offseason," McLaurin said via Commanders.com.

Howell -- a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina -- sat behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke for the bulk of his rookie season, before getting a chance to play in Week 18. While Howell had some nice moments in a 26-6 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys, it's hard to glean much from one game. It's also fair to to wonder why if the Commanders were so high on Howell they didn't insert him at quarterback sooner than the finale, given that they were still mathematically in the postseason race well into the final month of the season. 

Nonetheless, Howell appears to be set up relatively well for success in 2023. McLaurin is a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and if former first-round pick Jahan Dotson can take a step forward in his second season, that will give Washington a pretty strong duo at the position. New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will also have second-year running back Brian Robinson Jr. -- who rushed for 797 yards in his rookie season -- at his disposal to take pressure off of Howell. 

Regardless of whether Howell turns out to be the franchise quarterback for the Commanders, McLaurin will be back with the team in 2024. But Howell's success -- or lack thereof -- may ultimately determine whether Ron Rivera is retained as coach by new owner Josh Harris beyond this season.

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