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Rumblings that the Washington Commanders were no longer satisfied with Sam Howell grew on Sunday, when the second-year quarterback was benched for the second consecutive game. On Wednesday, Washington officially made a switch at football's most important position, announcing that veteran Jacoby Brissett will replace Howell for the final two games of the 2023 regular season.
The 4-11 Commanders have nothing to play for but pride and draft position, but the franchise believes it has seen enough from Howell to move forward without him. Whether Washington will use some of its ample cap space to acquire a proven starter or use a high draft pick on an elite QB prospect remains to be seen, but Howell's time in the nation's capital appears to be at an end.
Slumping Sam
It is unusual for a quarterback selected in the fifth round to find success in the NFL, but for much of 2023, Howell looked ready to buck the trend. The former North Carolina Tar Heel threw for 2,112 yards over a seven-game span between Oct. 1 and Nov. 12, and he briefly took over the NFL lead in ing yards.
However, Howell has fallen from grace in recent weeks, and the Commanders' experiment with the 23-year-old has gone wrong. Washington has lost six consecutive games, and Howell has thrown only two touchdowns in his past five games. Further, Howell has thrown an NFL-worst 17 interceptions, including two against the New York Jets on Sunday -- against whom he completed just six of his 22 attempts.
It hasn't helped matters that Howell has been sacked 60 times this season, seven more times than any other quarterback. A porous offensive line can be really damaging for a young quarterback, especially one selected outside the first round who is not necessarily guaranteed another chance elsewhere.
"I really do think this guy can be a really good quarterback in this league, I really do," head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday about Howell. "This has been a long year for everybody. This is a chance for him to take a breath."
Commanders ri the draft order
The Commanders' losing streak with Howell under center could present them with a unique -- perhaps franchise-changing -- opportunity in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It has been decades since Washington had any stability at quarterback -- one could argue that Joe Theismann, the team's starter between 1978 and 1985, was its last "franchise" signal-caller. But the Commanders could change that in April. They currently hold the third overall pick in the draft and could easily stay there, seeing as their final two games this season are against the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys.
Picking third would put Washington in position to select an elite quarterback prospect and build around him for the first time since Robert Griffin III was an active player. USC's Caleb Williams might not be available at #3, but North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels should be. With five picks in the first 100, the Commanders have a huge chance to turn this ship around quickly -- and in a few years' time, fans could actually thank Howell and Rivera for all these losses.