'My New Home': Commanders QB Sam Howell Making the Most of Opportunities
ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell says he was a fan of his new wide receiver Jahan Dotson back when he was catching passes for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
While that may not have been that long ago in real-time, in the timeline of life those days are a whole world away. And the two are now teammates in the NFL.
"Jahan's really good. I've been a fan of his for a long time, always watched him play, and he's just smooth," Howell said following his first practice in front of Washington media on Friday. "Smooth routes, smooth hands, it's going to be a lot of fun playing with him."
As excited as Howell was to get started with his new receiver, the weekend's minicamp also marked his beginning as a professional quarterback at the highest level of football around.
It's something that hadn't quite struck him when we last spoke to the rookie following his selection to the Commanders in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But Howell now says the reality of his new life is coming into focus.
"It's starting to," Howell said when asked if it was starting to sink in that he's an NFL quarterback. "Just being here, being in the locker room. I walked around the locker room a couple times and just (soaked) it all in."
While Howell may not be fully immersed in his new professional life, he was certainly surrounded by watchful eyes, all looking to get a good view of how comfortable he was in his new surroundings.
And for the first look, he passed the eye test, making quick throws that were accurate and on time even if some of the chemistry between quarterback and receivers isn't fully there just yet.
"It's a lot of fun. Super excited to get here, to come home honestly. My new home," Howell said. "Working with some of the other guys that are here on the team has been a lot of fun, learning the offense...It's a dream come true so I'm just super blessed to be here just trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I get."
It's easy to see watching him throw the ball around the team's indoor practice facility why NFL scouts reportedly had high grades on him, even if not franchise-changing ones.
Velocity and placement are all there.
At one point in the practice, I even saw Howell quickly pull a receiver in and discuss a route he had just run.
While I can't be sure what was said, the fact he's already taking that communicative leadership role among fellow first-year players is a promising sign that the Washington Commanders may have indeed gotten the steal of the draft in quarterback Sam Howell.
