Commanders News: Josh Harris group, stadium, Sam Howell and Eric Bieniemy

Commanders QB receives praise from leading NFL face

Sam Howell was forced to wait for his starting chance as a rookie despite the complications suffered by the Washington Commanders under center. But when the time came, he shone en route to a final-game victory against the Dallas Cowboys.

Sitting rookie quarterbacks is a dying trend given the urgency for teams and new coaches to get things right immediately. But according to television personality Mike Tirico via Yahoo Sports and Lou DiPietro of Audacy, adopting the Patrick Mahomes method might be the best thing for the former fifth-round pick when everyone looks back.

"I think Sam is a guy they really targeted in the middle of last year as the guy. We got the second Giants game flexed last year, and as we were there, we kept hearing from multiple people about him, so I was not surprised to see him play, and play well, against Dallas. I’m not saying he’s Patrick Mahomes, but that was the Mahomes model: sit him until the last week, play him once, and go from there."

- Mike Tirico via Audacy/Yahoo

The Commanders have stuck to their word and are giving Howell a legitimate chance to be their long-term quarterback. They did bring in Jacoby Brissett as an insurance policy, but not drafting a signal-caller such as Will Levis or Hendon Hooker is another sign of the confidence levels surrounding the one-time North Carolina gunslinger.

Hopefully, it will pay off and the Commanders have one of the cheapest contracts for a starting signal-caller. If not, then Ron Rivera is unlikely to be around when Washington selects its next quarterback prospect from the college ranks.