Commanders rookie Sam Howell to make first start, debut vs. Cowboys

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Sam Howell is finally receiving a shot against a live defense. 

As noted by Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons and John Keim of ESPN, Washington head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Wednesday that Howell will start when the 7-8-1 Commanders finish their season at home against the 12-4 Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. 

Washington has been eliminated from the postseason tournament, while Dallas could still clinch the NFC East division title and the conference's No. 1 playoff seed. 

Per Simmons, Rivera indicated he would've started Taylor Heinicke over both Howell and Carson Wentz if Washington was still alive in the playoff hunt. Instead, Heinicke will serve as the primary backup for when Howell sees his first regular-season action, and Wentz will be inactive.

"At the end of the day, at some point, if Sam ever gets an opportunity to be a starter, this would be the chance — why not get it over with now and go from there?" Rivera said of Howell. "But the most important thing is we’re really intrigued in terms of watching and seeing what Sam can do as a quarterback in this league." 

The Commanders acquired Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts in March 2022 and already had Heinicke on the roster when they spent a fifth-round pick to land Howell in last year's draft. 

During springtime workouts, offensive coordinator Scott Turner insisted that Howell would "get opportunities" to impress coaches, but the 22-year-old has spent the bulk of his debut pro season watching Heinicke and Wentz take snaps in meaningful games. 

It's worth noting that Heinicke is a free agent after the 2022 campaign and that Wentz has no guaranteed money left on his deal. 

Keim wrote that Sunday's divisional encounter will "almost assuredly" be Wentz's last contest with Washington before he's cut, while Heinicke's future with the organization is less clear as of the first few weeks of winter.