The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick after finishing the year with a 4-13 record, and as such, are expected to take a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Sam Howell was thrown into the deep end as the team's starter and while he showed promise at times, at others he looked like a young quarterback still figuring it all out.
With so many talented quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, the consensus is that the Commanders will take a quarterback, possibly Drake Maye with the second overall pick.
But who will be the backup? NFL.com makes a case that having Jacoby Brissett return to be the veteran presence is a good idea.
"Brissett spent most of 2023 seated behind Sam Howell, but as the second-year pro struggled more and more late in the season, the veteran eventually found a chance to see the field, instantly elevating Washington's offense and causing many to wonder why Ron Rivera didn't turn to Brissett sooner," NFL.com writes.
"I've included him in this section, though, not because of how 2023 panned out, but rather primarily due to the uncertain waters the Commanders are now entering in 2024, with Adam Peters taking over as general manager and a new head coach on the horizon. Is this fresh regime going to replace Howell with another option under center, perhaps a rookie? If so, keeping Brissett would be a wise move made in the interest of security. And in today's NFL, you can never be so certain about your security under center -- just ask the 2023 Jets."
Shook makes a good point.
If the Commanders go with Howell as a backup after taking say Maye in the draft, and things don't pan out, putting Sam back in as the starter could see some unfavorable results.
There is no arguing that Howell has some talent, but with Brissett, his veteran experience, as we saw this season, put the Commanders twice in a position to win football games.
Given that teams can now dress three quarterbacks, could we see a rookie starting, while having Brissett as the backup and Howell as the emergency? It doesn't seem that farfetched, does it?
As Shook writes, the Jets found out the hard way what not having a veteran quarterback on your roster can look like.
Will Washington bring Brissett back to be that veteran voice in the quarterback room?
There's no reason why not.
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