NEWSLETTER
The Washington Commanders are engulfed in unknowns right now, from who will own the team when Week 1 rolls around to who will be the starting quarterback. Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said in February that the starting job was Sam Howell’s to win. But he also said the team would bring in a veteran quarterback in free agency. Washington brought in Jacoby Brissett this offseason to compete with Howell.
So far, the reports from Auburn, Va., where the Commanders are holding OTAs, are encouraging if you’re pulling for Howell to win the QB1 job in D.C.
“He’s taken the bull by the horns, and he’s really led us a lot this offseason,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said last week.
If anyone in Washington knows a thing or two about QBs, it’s McLaurin. Since arriving in D.C. in 2019, McLaurin has played with 10 starting quarterbacks. The Commanders really have become the Bears of my childhood when it comes to the never-ending QB carousel.
“I think Sam has a real quiet confidence about him,” McLaurin said. “He’s not gonna tell people what to do, but he knows what he’s doing when he gets out on the field.”
Howell knows what he has to do. Learn a new offense, fend off Jacoby Brissett for the starting job, and develop a rapport with McLaurin and his offensive skill players in Washington. The Commanders’ first game is now roughly 100 days away. No pressure, right?
The former fifth-round pick out of North Carolina has one NFL game under his belt. He’s gone from the understudy to the main event in no time, with little to no experience. Fortunately for Howell, he’ll cut his teeth with a solid staff to show him the way. Rivera is one of the best coaches in the NFL. Especially when it comes to extracting the most out of his players.
Howell will also have the opportunity to work with new assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has spent the last five seasons as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City. Five years with Patrick Mahomes is a pretty nice boost the résumé.
According to Rivera, Bieniemy is going to expect Howell to take charge of the huddle much like Mahomes did in Kansas City.
“Coach Bieniemy stresses taking charge as the quarterback,” Rivera said (via The Athletic). “It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is if something’s wrong, he wants them to step back, get it set, and then get back into the huddle.”
McLaurin said that the Commanders offensive players know that Bieniemy is going to bring the intensity. McLaurin said that it’s up to the players to match it.
It’s going to be an intense installation of Eric Bieniemy’s new offense. Can Sam Howell rise to the challenge?
The early returns from OTAs indicate that Howell is holding his own. But training camp will look a lot different than these light May practices. Will Howell be able to step into the starter’s role, or will the Commanders lean on the veteran Jacoby Brissett to lead the offense and begin looking for their next long-term solution under center next offseason?
For now, Washington’s QB1 job remains Howell’s to win.
