NFL
By: Drew Willingham
The questions have been circling the Washington Commanders and their starting quarterback position for years now. We’ve seen many different athletes attempt to fill the void at Quarterback for this team for three decades now. With the exception of Kirk Cousins, most quarterbacks finish their starting careers in a Washington uniform.
All of this could change with a young quarterback from the University of North Carolina. I know you’re thinking that the ACC is a weak conference, that’s been exposed numerous times, and a school like UNC isn’t known for producing high caliber quarterbacks. Especially when you think of names from their alumni like: T.J. Yates, Ronald Curry, and Mitchell Trubisky.
Enter Sam Howell to that mix, a 22-year old quarterback who spent three seasons as star quarterback for the Tar Heels. Now entering his second season and with a legitimate chance to start week 1 for the Commanders. After a rookie season with only one start that came in Week 18 when the team was already eliminated from playoff contention. In that game, Howell completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with a passing and rushing touchdown in a 26–6 upset win against the Dallas Cowboys.
Many critics have thrown shade at this man for the conference he played in during his collegiate career. However, he’s made believers of some (including myself) who are hoping to see positive results with now six months of preparation for the starting job under his belt. If Trubisky can receive the amount of opportunities as a result of his time at North Carolina, it’s only fair that we see a fair chance for Howell and what he can do with the Commanders.
With training camp around the corner, it will be interesting to see just how the Commanders utilize Sam Howell and his talents. If he builds on the foundation that he set in that game last season, with a new offensive coordinator that’s a 2X Super Bowl champion….we could see something special brewing in Washington for many years to come.
