Newly-acquired quarterback Sam Howell may not be the Seattle Seahawks' starter yet, but with the team being so high on him, it's not hard to imagine that he may take the mantle soon.
In fact, the Seahawks' feelings on Howell long predate him joining the team. During an appearance on Seattle Sports' "Wyman and Bob ," ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Seahawks have had their eyes on Howell for a very long time.
“But I also think that Sam Howell is somebody that they’ve liked for an awful long time. And Sam Howell is a guy who, when you talk to people around the league, they believe in his abilities and talent and I think the Seahawks did as well," Schefter said. "And I remember his name coming up within that organization last season during the year as a guy that they were intrigued with. And I think that they continue to be intrigued by the guy.”
Frankly, it's not at all surprising that the Seahawks were high on Howell long ago. In 2021, a year before he entered the draft, Howell was widely seen as a first-round prospect, if not one of the top picks in his class. However, an underwhelming final season at North Carolina and some concerning traits such as his relatively short height at 6-1 knocked him down all the way to the fifth-round, where the Washington Commanders scooped him up.
It also helps that Howell had possibly his best game of the season on Seattle's home turf. When the Commanders visited the Seahawks in November, Howell completed 29 of 44 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions as he gave Seattle all it could handle.
It's clear that the Seahawks have a great deal of confidence in Howell, as if they didn't, they likely would've drafted another quarterback in April. With Geno Smith's long-term future in Seattle unclear, Howell could very well be waiting in the wings to be the Seahawks' next starter.
