Seahawks GM Issues Quarterback Admission After Sam Darnold Signing

The Seattle Seahawks have had a busy offseason when it comes to their quarterback room, adding Sam Darnold and Drew Lock via free agency, while trading their former starter Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. And according to general manager John Schneider, they may not be done just yet either.

After signing a three-year, $100.5 million contract, it's clear that Darnold is the team's starting quarterback moving forward. With Lock brought in to presumably be Darnold's backup, that has made Sam Howell, who is their third-string quarterback, a trade candidate according to recent reports.

“Once Seattle signed Lock, it opened up the possibility of a potential trade of Howell, whom the Seahawks traded for just over a year ago in a deal with Washington,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Monday morning.

Sure enough, Schneider confirmed on Monday that the team was receiving trade offers for Howell. However, he didn't exactly sound convinced that a deal would be done, offering a murky response when asked whether or not he was open to trading the former Washington Commanders starter.

"I don't know. We're not there yet," Schneider said when asked about a potential Howell trade, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.

The Seahawks only picked up Howell in a trade with the Commanders last offseason, but his time with the team could be over now that Lock is back in town, especially if Schneider gets an offer that piques his interest.

Howell played sparingly in relief of Smith twice last season, completing just 5-of-14 passes for 24 yards and one interception. He started all 17 games with Washington in 2023, throwing for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns, but he also tossed a league-leading 21 interceptions to boot.