'He's a Baller': Commanders Rookie QB Sam Howell Impressing Teammates

Howell's performance in the preseason finale made a positive impression on his Washington teammates.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders finished the preseason winless following a 17-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, but the biggest storyline from the contest has nothing to do with the result.

Instead, it's about the Commanders' fifth-round rookie quarterback, Sam Howell. With starting signal caller Carson Wentz and backup Taylor Heinicke both held out of the contest to avoid injuries, Howell received the start, and turned in an impressive outing.

The 21-year-old North Carolina alum finished 24 of 35 for 280 yards and a touchdown. Howell was also Washington's leading rusher, recording 62 yards on eight runs, an average of 7.8 yards per carry.

The Commanders' second-leading rusher was Jaret Patterson, who had 11 carries for 47 yards. After the game, Patterson spoke highly of Howell and the career he has ahead of him.

"That kid, he's a baller," Patterson said. "I've been watching Sam since college when he was at UNC. His future's bright. He just keeps doing what he's doing. I think he's going to be a problem in this league."

Howell's immediate future isn't necessarily as promising; while he's likely going to be on Washington's 53-man roster following Tuesday's cuts, it's possible that Howell is a healthy scratch for every game this season, barring injury to Wentz or Heinicke.

There's also the possibility that Howell parlays his strong preseason finale into standout performances in practice, potentially overtaking Heinicke as the backup.

Still, Washington didn't draft Howell with the expectation that he'd contribute during his rookie season. The main goal of his preseason was to show he had the tools needed to be a quarterback in the NFL, and Howell's multi-faceted display against Baltimore more than accomplished that mission.

At the very least, Howell has proved he's a capable option if Washington needs him this year. But, looking big-picture as the Commanders did when they selected him, Howell's showing inspires confidence that he might just be the long-term answer at quarterback if Wentz doesn't pan out.

Whether it's as a starter or backup, in Washington or elsewhere, Howell's fully displayed his skill set this preseason, firmly establishing that he might just be a "problem" for NFL defenses at some point.