Sam Howell 'Excited to Get to Work,' Compete in Seattle Seahawks QB Room

The Seahawks swung one of the more surprising trades this offseason. Quarterback Sam Howell stands to benefit from a change to the scenery of the Pacific Northwest.

Quarterback Sam Howell prepares for a drill during the Seahawks fifth OTA practice at the VMAC. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

Entering the 2024 draft season, many thought the Seattle Seahawks would be one of the teams eager to take a quarterback in the first round. However, at pick No. 16, they appeared just outside the picture to grab one of the top tier college signal callers.

Instead of banking on this year's draft class, or being able to take one of their preferred quarterbacks in the middle of the first round, they went the trade route to get a potential franchise quarterback. General manager John Schneider sent a third rounder and a fifth rounder to Washington in exchange for Howell plus fourth and sixth round picks from this past draft.

Seattle's staff deserves credit for correctly forecasting the draft as well. If they were set on drafting a quarterback in the 2024 draft, all of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix were gone in the first 11 picks.

The next quarterback taken? Spencer Rattler by the Saints... in the fifth round.

This makes their move for Howell look all the more savvy. Geno Smith is under contract through next season, but there is a simple way the Seahawks can get out of that contract if they feel the situation dictates it. For now, they are more than happy to have both in the fold.

Howell enters year three in the NFL with two more seasons under contract at a cheap rookie wage under $1.5 million per season. He's also 10 years younger than Smith. Seattle could keep both signal callers on the roster for the next two seasons if they wish. They should get a good look at both to see whom they prefer for 2025 and beyond.

Howell didn't magically appear on Seattle's radar this past offseason either. He was a coveted prospect coming out of North Carolina in the 2022 draft, even while dropping to the fifth round, and met with then-Seahawks quarterback coach Dave Canales in the pre-draft process. Schneider himself was intrigued by the Tar Heel gunslinger since a breakout sophomore season.

"We had some good talks," Howell said about his communication with Seattle before the draft. "Obviously going to the draft, you really never know what's going to happen and I don't regret anything that happened to me in my career, and I truly believe that everything that's happened has happened for a reason and I truly believe that God has a plan for me and going to Washington, I definitely learned a lot out of that experience and I'm happy to be here now in Seattle.”

Dec 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) moves out to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round, much later than he expected to hear his name called. Last season, he was their full-time starter, playing all 17 games. He led the NFL in passing attempts with 612. He threw for 3,946 yards for 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, also a league high. Washington failed to protect him, as he also led the NFL in sacks taken with 65, setting up a recipe for disaster as the team finished 4-13.

Needless to say, Howell got a full dose of being in the NFL last year. Despite not even being 24 years old yet, he does not come to Seattle lacking experience. And, as Schneider mentioned before the draft after the trade had been finalized, he's younger than Penix and Nix, another point in favor of the move to acquire him.

However, Howell is not coming to Seattle on equal footing with Geno Smith. Unlike training camp two seasons ago where Smith and Drew Lock where engaged in a fierce battle for the starting job, both quarterbacks understand that the job is Smith's going into 2024.

That doesn't mean Howell didn't want to end up in Seattle, however.

“I was excited," Howell said about the trade. "I think once I got the idea that me being traded was a possibility, Seattle was one of those places that I wanted to come be a part of. I'm just super excited to be here and I think Coach Mike's done a great job of starting to build this thing, so this is definitely one of those places that even coming out of the draft I wanted to come to. I just love being in this city. I love being a part of this team and I'm just excited to get to work.”

For now, Howell will back up Smith. Given his combination of NFL starting experience and his youth, the Seahawks have one of the most unique backup quarterback situations in the NFL. That could be an advantage down the road as the franchise tries to figure out long-term plans at the most important position in sports.