3 reasons Sam Howell is the right Commanders quarterback for 2023
By Dean Jones
There are reasons to suggest Sam Howell is the right quarterback to lead the Washington Commanders during the 2023 campaign.
The stakes couldn't be much higher for the Washington Commanders in 2023. And yet, those in power seemingly had no problem moving forward with one of the league's most inexperienced quarterbacks for such a pivotal campaign.
Despite the temptation to make a bigger splash, the Commanders went through on their promise to give Sam Howell a legitimate shot at becoming the team's long-term option under center. It's a monumental gamble from head coach Ron Rivera, who'll pay with his job if things go south with the Josh Harris ownership group watching over proceedings intently.
Howell's established himself well throughout early off-season workouts. It hasn't been perfect and Eric Bieniemy is placing some high demands on the former fifth-round pick, but the plan won't waver despite the experienced presence of Jacoby Brissett waiting in the wings.
With this in mind, here are three reasons Howell represents the right quarterback choice for the Commanders in 2023.
Commanders have an exciting unknown in Sam Howell
Nobody knows how good Sam Howell can be. His one career start brought a final-day triumph over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 of the 2022 season and an encouraging performance overall, but whether the signal-caller can keep this up over a full 17-game schedule is another matter.
There will be no excuses for Howell with the skill position players within the Washington Commanders. Having such a renowned offensive guru as Eric Bieniemy spearheading the charge only adds to the sense of optimism.
Howell is also a surprise most teams won't see coming thanks to their lack of film on the player - at least from an NFL perspective. Just how much of an edge this can give the North Carolina product remains to be seen.