Former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Former Commanders draft pick is falling apart with no sign of recovery

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Dean Jones | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Washington Commanders' new era started with a bang. This all centered around the team's decision to select quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The collateral damage of that decision is experiencing a different trajectory. And the signs suggest that Sam Howell is falling apart with no sign of recovery.

Howell became the first Washington quarterback to start every regular-season game since Kirk Cousins in 2023. There were flashes of promise, but nothing to convince general manager Adam Peters he was worthy of another shot. When they set their stall on Daniels, the former North Carolina standout was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Former Commanders QB Sam Howell is struggling to make an impact in Minnesota

After backing up Geno Smith last season, Howell was on the move again. This time, it was the Minnesota Vikings who thought they could salvage his career, albeit in another understudy role behind J.J. McCarthy.

It seemed as if the No. 2 quarterback spot was Howell's to lose heading into the offseason. But after some struggles throughout training camp, that's not as clear-cut as it once appeared.

NFL analyst Thor Nystrom from Fantasy Life got to see Howell up close during the Vikings' practice on Monday. His blunt message on social media left no doubt about how he perceived the signal-caller's production. And spoiler alert, it didn't make for good reading.

Sam Howell is not long for this roster.
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) August 5, 2025

This is an ongoing trend. Howell isn't picking things up quickly enough, and it's showing on the field. Head coach Kevin O'Connell is an accomplished quarterback developer, but even he might have his work cut out here.

Howell isn't a rookie anymore. These are more than just growing pains, so it'll be interesting to see if some live-fire reps in the preseason can turn this concerning tide. That'll be the strongest measuring stick, especially considering he threw just 14 passes in 2024.

The Vikings believed enough in Howell to bring him on board. They also don't have much behind him on the depth chart, which is one thing working in his favor. But unless the consistency increases and his confidence level within O'Connell's offense grows quickly, a situation could emerge where Minnesota cuts its losses.

That would place Howell firmly on the brink of NFL irrelevancy. He might be there already, but if he was deemed unworthy of even being a backup, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what comes next.

Howell has to dig deep and show the correct resolve. This is also the final year of his rookie deal, so the stakes couldn't be much higher heading into a pivotal preseason stretch for the gunslinger.