The Washington Commanders’ search for an offensive coordinator may have revealed their plans at quarterback in 2023. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Commanders have told candidates they plan to start Sam Howell next season.
Washington will continue evaluating options, according to The Athletic’s Ben Standig. Howell has the inside track to be the QB1, but he’ll have to win the starting position.
The Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. Howell started his rookie season behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke on the depth chart.
Washington traded for Wentz and took on his $28.3 million salary cap hit before drafting Howell. Howell was inactive for the first six games of the season. But he was promoted to the backup of Heinicke after Wentz suffered a broken finger that kept him out of eight games.
Howell returned to third QB when Wentz returned in Week 16. However, Howell started the Week 18 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys after Washington got eliminated from playoff contention.
Howell flashed promise and poise. He completed 11-of-19 passes for 169 yards in the Commanders’ surprising 26-6 win over the Cowboys. Howell’s first career pass resulted in a 16-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin.
Howell also rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception in the end zone. Still, his performance last week matched his development and appears to be enough that head coach Ron Rivera will enter Year 4 with Howell behind center.
Turning to Howell allows the Commanders to continue to build a roster around him. The team is expected to part ways with Wentz, freeing up $26.1 million of cap space.
Meanwhile, Heinicke expects to be an unrestricted free agent in March. There may be better opportunities in the market for Heinicke that will pry him away from Washington.
Sam Howell is the safest choice for the Commanders. Even with him having to learn another system following the firing of Scott Turner. One has to wonder how will going with Howell affect the Commanders’ offensive coordinator search.
Any candidate will have to consider the complex situation Washington enters next season. Rivera will be on the hot seat with a 22-27-1 record. The team may be up for sale, and a new owner usually means a new regime, including the general manager and head coach.
A potential offensive coordinator will have one year to prove himself. And they’d have to do so with a second-year, fifth-round pick at quarterback who has just one NFL career start.
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