2023 NFL quarterback analysis: Washington Commanders
Current starter: Taylor Heinicke | Current backups: Carson Wentz, Sam Howell
State of the position: In Washington, finding a quarterback has proven harder than selecting a House speaker. The Commanders gave Wentz a three-year deal in the offseason, and he gave them no reason to bring him back. According to Spotrac, Wentz can be released with no dead cap money. Otherwise, he’d count $26,176,470 against next year’s cap. Rest assured, Wentz (11 TDs/9 INTs) won’t be back.
Heinicke took over for Wentz in Week 7, winning five of his first six starts. But he couldn’t get a win in December as the team fought for the playoffs and was benched for Wentz in Week 17. Heinicke showed promise in 2021 with 3,419 yards and 20 touchdowns, but the team needs more than the five-year veteran has to offer.
In his only NFL start, Howell went 11-for-19 for 169 yards and a TD to beat the Cowboys in the regular-season finale. Heinicke was supposed to start, but he convinced the team to play Howell instead. Per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, Howell may be the 2023 starter.
Teams don’t typically build around fifth-round QBs, but Howell threw for 10,283 yards and 92 touchdowns for North Carolina. His old college coach compared him to Drew Brees, but the Commanders should have more realistic expectations.
Key stat: In three years with Washington, Heinicke is 12-12-1
2023 QB forecast: Washington is in the market for a new offensive coordinator to help sort through this dicey situation. The team hopes to re-sign Heinicke as a backup. Heinicke remains popular among his Commander teammates, with some openly campaigning for his return. Unless potential new ownership looks to shake things up, it looks like a Howell-Heinicke ticket for 2023.
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