Terry McLaurin has seen a lot of quarterbacks roll through the lineup since joining the Commanders as a 2019 third-round pick and most of them took more snaps than Sam Howell did in his rookie season.
Howell stayed on the bench until getting a start in Week 18 and going 11-of-19 for 169 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Howell also ran for a touchdown in a win over the Cowboys and the outing was enough for the Commanders to install the 2022 fifth-rounder as their No. 1 quarterback heading into the offseason.
Jacoby Brissett signed with Washington as a free agent, but Howell remains on top of the depth chart and McLaurin has seen “a good grasp of playing football” from the quarterback. McLaurin also said that Howell’s leadership qualities have jumped out at him.
“I think Sam has a real quiet confidence about him,” McLaurin said, via the team’s website. “He’s not gonna tell people what to do, but he knows what he’s doing when he gets out on the field. . . . He’s taken the bull by the horns, and he’s really led us a lot this offseason.”
Howell is the 10th starting quarterback that McLaurin has played with in the NFL and the hope in Washington will be that he is the last addition to that list for quite a while.