4 young Commanders players heading for bigger roles in 2023
By Dean Jones
Sam Howell – Commanders QB
We finish with the most obvious one of all.
After impressing during his first and only start for the Washington Commanders in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Sam Howell looks set to become the team’s starter in 2023. Beating out free-agent signing Jacoby Brissett is the biggest task awaiting the former fifth-round selection this offseason, but he’ll be given every chance by the coaching staff throughout OTAs and training camp.
Howell has the arm strength and mobility to become productive. The Commanders also have some significant weapons at the skill positions to ease his transition into a legitimate No. 1 role.
Sitting and learning for most of last season will have helped Howell. But make no mistake, Brissett hasn’t come to Washington for anything other than a starting role, so it’ll be interesting to see how things play out during the summer.
The North Carolina product unfairly sunk to irrelevancy before the 2022 NFL Draft. This left Howell highly motivated to silence his doubters and there is a quiet level of confidence within the building that he can become their long-term man under center.
There is a lot riding on Howell’s ability to step up in 2023. Anything less than excellence could come with grave consequences with ownership set to change in the not-too-distant future.
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