Two years ago, the Seattle Seahawks traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, and many felt it meant the team was starting to rebuild. But the Seahawks seemed to deny it.
Instead of going through a painful transition, Geno Smith, who to that point had been mostly a decent backup, emerged as a strong QB1 and led the Seahawks to the playoffs in 2022 while leading the NFL in pass completion percentage.
Smith’s numbers dipped somewhat last season, and Seattle ended up trading for Sam Howell as the Washington Commanders prepared to draft Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick in last month’s draft. Some have been wondering if there could be a quarterback controversy brewing in the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle wide receiver Tyler Lockett seemed to like what he saw from Howell during OTAs, as he had some nice things to say about the 23-year-old.
“I think he’s a really great quarterback, man,” said Lockett. “You could tell he’s calm and collected when he’s in the pocket. He makes the throws. He doesn’t really force anything. I think he’s learning the plays really well, and I think he’s doing a great job as he continues to try to find his rhythm in this offense.”
Howell played in and started just one game as a rookie in 2022 after Washington went away from veteran Carson Wentz. Last season, as the team’s full-time starter, he showed promise in some areas, and in Week 10, Seattle got an up-close-and-personal look at him.
In that game, Howell threw three touchdown passes with no interceptions while going 29 of 44 and surrendering a decent three sacks. Seattle had to huff and puff to earn a 29-26 victory.
But for most of the season, he suffered with ball security, as he threw 21 interceptions, which was more than any other player in 2023. In addition, he was sacked 65 times, which was also a league-high.
To be fair, the Commanders weren’t exactly a good team that had plenty of support, while the Seahawks have two solid playmakers in Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
Perhaps bringing in Howell was a move for the immediate future, as Smith will turn 34 years of age in October. His completion rate fell to 64.7 percent last year while he threw 20 touchdown passes, compared to 30 the year prior.
The Seahawks play in a division they likely won’t win for a while, as the San Francisco 49ers aren’t going anywhere. In addition, the Los Angeles Rams could improve a bit, while the Arizona Cardinals now have a potential star in the making in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to go along with star QB Kyler Murray.
Perhaps it is time for the Seattle Seahawks to retool on the fly, and if Sam Howell smoothes out the rough parts of his game, perhaps he could help it do just that.
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