Commanders News: Dan Snyder, Sam Howell, Hall of Fame and blackmail

Commanders not 'all-in' on Sam Howell?

Sam Howell has a chance to be successful under Eric Bieniemy's guidance as the Washington Commanders' starting quarterback in 2023. The former fifth-round selection has enormous pressure on his shoulders to produce, but that does not detract from what a big gamble this is from head coach Ron Rivera with his own job at stake in 2023.

The Commanders hedged their bets by picking up Jacoby Brissett in free agency, who had a top-10 QBR last season and represents a dependable presence in the event Howell fluffs his lines. What nobody knows as part of this particular equation is how short the North Carolina product's leash will be when the regular season arrives.

This was a topic brought up by Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, who stated that the Commanders were not all-in on Howell right now. But that could alter depending on how he performs at camp and during the early stages of the campaign.

"Definitely not "all" in. At least not yet. They are mostly committed to [Sam] Howell as their QB1, but there’s a reason why they signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to be his (probable) backup and why [Ron] Rivera won’t commit to Howell being his Opening Day starter. So far all Rivera has said is that Howell is the current first-teamer, and it will be that way entering training camp. Then they’ll see how it goes. That’s because they really do want to see how it goes first. They believe in Howell and they think he’s going to be good — so much so that they were willing to trust him in a year whereas, Rivera probably needs to win to keep his job. But they are leaving the door open in case there’s any sign this summer that he’s not quite ready."

- Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports

Howell knows the stakes and there is a quiet confidence about his demeanor that's winning over teammates. Something that can hopefully propel the Commanders to better things next season.