Seattle Seahawks Beat Out Division Rival in Trade for QB Sam Howell - Report

The Seattle Seahawks had to fend off one of their NFC West rivals to secure the trade for new backup quarterback Sam Howell.

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) passes / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

An NFL trade is never quite as simple as it seems, as there's always more going on behind the scenes.

Take the Seattle Seahawks' recent acquisition of former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, for example. On paper, this trade seems as simple as the Seahawks landing their new backup quarterback while the Commanders clear the way for whoever they draft at No. 2 overall. In the background, though, there was a small bidding war for Howell's services.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) pushes Washington QB Sam Howell. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Multiple teams had reported interest in Howell, but the Seahawks put the best offer forward. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Seahawks even outbid the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in the Howell sweepstakes.

"And they outbid the Rams, who, I know that there was a strong feeling on the Rams' coaching staff that they wanted Sam Howell badly, they really liked him," Garafolo said. "So, the Seahawks were able to outbid them, so that's good. You got him and you kept him away from a team that really could've used him as a potential successor there."

.@MikeGarafolo with a good nugget on the trade for Sam Howell and who the @Seahawks were competing with for his services. https://t.co/ckDTqrHAyB pic.twitter.com/P3FYnlKiag

— Puck (@Puck2040) April 4, 2024

Given that Matthew Stafford is now 36 and has dealt with numerous injuries over the past couple of years, the Rams have been proactive about securing a competent backup quarterback. After missing out on Howell, they pivoted and signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to back up Stafford.

Rams coach Sean McVay is a known quarterback whisperer, so the Seahawks denying him the chance to get a young backup with upside while getting him for themselves is a good bit of work by general manager John Schneider and co.