INDIANAPOLIS -- The Washington Commanders have a new general manager and a new coach to go with their not-yet-one-year-old owner.
So the question now is, do the new Commanders need a new quarterback?
Most think the team will at least seek one out in the NFL Draft this April, but it's possible Washington already has its best option at the position on its roster with Sam Howell entering his third season in 2024.
Is Howell what the team is looking for? It goes beyond stats, and deeper into the traits that coach Dan Quinn is seeking out in a leader for his team.
“I'd say number one, you better be really tough mentally, physically tough because there's gonna be times when the person is open on the physical toughness," Quinn said at the NFL Scouting Combine when asked what he's looking for in a quarterback. "You gotta stay in there to deliver it into the right spot. I think you have to have the mental toughness to withstand all that's going on and keep your focus right here on the team, right with the group that you're with."
Howell certainly hit a wall last season, his first starting in the NFL, and it's hard to blame him considering he led the league in pass attempts (612) and in pressures (274).
Certainly, some of those pressures were from his own tendency to hold the ball longer than he should, something noted in most - if not all - young quarterbacks as they get up to speed with the NFL game.
Something we also saw from Howell in 2023, however, was accuracy. According to Sports Info Solutions, 84 percent of his 612 attempts were catchable.
And that's something Quinn also covets.
"As far as like a performance side, I think you better show accuracy on the deep ball because when those moments for explosive plays are there - there's a single high coverage, it's a man-to-man, it's an all-out blitz and you nail those moments, that's where the explosive plays are driven," Quinn also said about his desired quarterback.
Howell certainly showed an ability and willingness to extend plays at times, though most observers would like for the young quarterback to be more prudent about when he does it and how many hits he takes in the process.
So what does Quinn think of Howell?
"I got a chance to visit with him," Quinn said. "What I did want him to know is like, man, going against him - he is one hell of a competitor. I tried to hit him, tried to knock him off and to really put pressure on him."
With one trait confirmed, the question is whether or not the level of toughness Howell has shown, the accuracy he put on tape, and his ability to extend plays for the offense are enough to hold off one of the most talented quarterback classes in recent memory.
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