Commanders Trade Sam Howell; Future Uncertain in Washington

In an offseason of change, everybody is trying to figure out what the Washington Commanders next move is.

Trading quarterback Sam Howell isn't exactly something nobody saw coming from the Washington Commanders, but it certainly came sooner than even those who predicted it expected. 

Just hours after finalizing the deal to sign veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to the new look Commanders offense the team finalized a deal to send Howell to the Seattle Seahawks.

Former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell against the New York Giants during the 2023 NFL Season / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Athletic is reporting that several teams, not just the Seahawks, were interested in making a trade for Howell with Washington, and the gaining general manager even admitted to stressing the deal to the last moments.

So the speculation now - as this is the time for plenty of it - turns to what's next for the quarterback position. Because even Mariota himself falls short of staking claim to the starting job.

"I bring a lot of value in a lot of different aspects," Mariota said in his introductory press conference when asked about his expected role on his new team. "If I'm called upon to be ready to play, I'm very confident in that and I'm also very confident in my role as a mentor. So whatever this staff, whatever this team needs of me, I'm going to do it to the best of my abilities and just try to ultimately win games here."

Not exactly the words of a man expecting to lead his team onto Commanders Field when they open up their new season in September.

So it's not Howell, and it's not Mariota, and while Jake Fromm remains on the roster as well the expectation is that it won't be him either, but a new guy - one yet to be named.

The question now is what the moves point to, and to observers trying to put the puzzle pieces together, it's either North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels.

That's not exactly new speculation, of course. Even prior to Howell being traded those were the two most commonly connected names to the franchise quarterback label in Washington.

But schools of thought have now formed who believe Mariota coming aboard known as a quarterback who used his athleticism before every quarterback was expected to do it is a sign of the Commanders coveting Daniels. 

Mariota coming from the Philadelphia Eagles where he worked with new Washington assistant head coach and offensive passing game coordinator Brian Johnson only adds fuel to that fire after watching Jalen Hurts ascend as one of the best in the league because of his athletic prowess and how it improves his quarterback play.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's affinity for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray when he was coming out of school is also a sign many lean on that Daniels is the Commanders' target. 

There are still those who also believe Mariota points to Maye, actually. Given that Maye isn't as athletic as Daniels but can hold his own it appears and will need to use it judiciously and as a tool for improving his passing ability over one employed to replace it at times. 

Those speculators believe Mariota's play style and experience now with nearly a decade in the NFL will help Maye develop faster and play smarter.

For that group, trading Howell means eliminating the awkward situation where the two close friends have to compete against each other for one starting job. 

During the week of the NFL Scouting Combine Maye said landing on the same roster with Howell would be, "not ideal," but also acknowledged that if that situation were to develop they would be as supportive as possible of each other.

Now, unless Seattle really surprises everyone, the two friends from North Carolina won't have to worry about that conundrum.

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Even with all the signs pointing to a fresh-faced and newly minted NFL quarterback arriving to the Commanders this April, there are still those who believe the team should trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, let Mariota mentor him instead, and continue building a competing roster that can better support a young quarterback compared to the lack of it that Howell got in 2023.

So what does trading Howell mean for Washington? Well, what we know for sure is that it means the team has another third-round pick, for starters. 

As far as other starters are concerned, we think the debate will continue to be had, and that no real conclusion can be drawn from what's happened in an exciting one-week overhaul of the Commanders' locker room.