'Lot of Fun to Play In': Sam Howell Enjoying Seattle Seahawks QB Friendly Scheme

Adjusting to new surroundings as a backup, Sam Howell has time to learn and grow under new coordinator Ryan Grubb in an offense that caters well to his strengths.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell watches as offensive line coach Scott Huff instructs prior to a run fit drill at the team's fifth OTA practice. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. - Entrusted with running Eric Bieniemy's offense as a first-year starter with the Washington Commanders last season, new Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell played in a system many of his peers would envy, as he led the league with over 600 pass attempts in 17 starts.

Unfortunately for Howell and Bieniemy, who both find themselves with different teams this season, slinging the pigskin all over the yard at the rate Washington did in 2023 wasn't necessarily done on purpose. Often trailing in games and playing catchup, the high-volume passing attack often became a byproduct of playing opposite of one of the NFL's worst defenses, leading to an ugly 4-13 record and a last place finish in the NFC East.

Speaking with local media for the first time since joining the Seahawks via trade in March following Thursday's OTA practice, Howell acknowledged that while he, like any quarterback would, relished having the ball in his hands so much last season, it obviously wasn't a winning formula based on circumstances and he has turned the page as he settles in with his new team.

"It was fun throwing the ball, but we would've liked to be more in control of some of the games and not have been in those situations where we had to throw the ball every single play, but it is what it is," Howell said. "We tried to win as many games as possible and obviously, it didn't really work out for us, but that year is behind us. It's a new year. I'm happy to be here in Seattle and happy to get to work."

Interestingly, as Howell acclimates to the Pacific Northwest and continues to learn a new offense, he has linked up with another aggressive play caller in Ryan Grubb, who returned to Seattle as coach Mike Macdonald's offensive coordinator of choice after transforming Washington's offense into one of the most electric units in all of college football the past two years.

Much as Bieniemy did with the Commanders last season, Grubb put the ball in Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr.'s hands as much as any quarterback at the FBS level, but it was by design and for great reason. With a dangerous receiving trio headlined by future first-round pick Rome Odunze, the left-handed gunslinger had a wealth of riches at his disposal and made opponents pay by tossing for more than 9,000 yards and 67 touchdowns in his two seasons at Montlake.

Transitioning into a backup role behind Geno Smith, Howell has seen plenty of similarities and differences in how Grubb approaches his offensive philosophy compared to his previous coordinator. Appreciating his new play caller's aggressive, QB-friendly system and how much he wants to "push the ball down field" coupled with a vast array of different tempos and concepts, he's optimistic this pass-centric attack will yield far greater success with the Seahawks.

“I mean obviously it's a little different, but Grubb has done a great job," Howell commented. "It's been so much fun learning from him. He's had so much success over the past few years, so we do a lot of different things, mix up some tempos, but it's been a lot of fun. It's definitely a quarterback-friendly offense, and Eric Bieniemy's offense was kind of similar in that way that it was a quarterback friendly offense and both of those guys like to throw the ball a lot, so it's definitely a lot of fun to play in.”

For now, Howell understands he's entering a situation where he won't be expected to play with Smith named the undisputed starter by Macdonald and general manager John Schneider earlier this spring. The two-time Pro Bowler also has vouched for Grubb's unique system, going as far as saying his new coordinator has installed plays he never has seen before in his 12-year NFL career, and already seems to be quite comfortable running an offense built well for a pocket passer such as himself.

But while some young quarterbacks would get frustrated or even throw a fit about being traded to a team already with a starter, Howell isn't letting the situation impact how he competes between the lines and he's got his eyes on playing his way onto the field in the future. After watching film from last season, he's using the opportunity presented to him with the Seahawks to get to work improving upon his most glaring weaknesses for when that time comes, including playing smarter protecting the football and knowing when to be aggressive as a passer.

Howell also plans to learn as much as he can from Smith, who dealt with a similar situation early in his career after initially being a starter for the Jets as a rookie before bouncing around with multiple teams as a backup and eventually winning Comeback Player of the Year honors in Seattle. As the two grow together in Grubb's system in coming months, he will be looking to absorb as much as he can from a seasoned veteran who can truly appreciate what he's going through and help push him in the right direction to become a better player on his own accord.

"Geno’s the man and obviously I've always been a fan of his, just being on the other side, watching him, the way he goes about his business He's a true professional and just the way he practices each and every day, just how committed he is to his craft and how committed he is to this team and just how much he puts into it. Those are things that you really don't know until you work right beside somebody. So it's been fun to watch him do that and learn from him, and I think he's a great player.”