5 Qs and 5 As with Hogs Haven on new Seahawks QB Sam Howell

The Seattle Seahawks didn’t take long to replace Drew Lock on the quarterback depth chart. Former Washington Commanders starter Sam Howell was acquired by Seattle via trade, with the Seahawks sending a 2024 third- and fifth-round pick to Washington in exchange for Howell, as well as 2024 fourth- and sixth-round selections.

Howell was drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round back in 2022, but only played one game as a rookie. He started every game of the 2023 season, throwing 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while throwing over 600 passes on one of the league’s worst teams. Howell is just 23 years old, younger than Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr as John Schneider noted, so there’s belief that in a better environment he may be able to succeed. For now, Howell will be Geno Smith’s backup.

In a special edition of 5 Qs and 5 As, I got the chance to ask Hogs Haven managing editor Scott Jennings about what he thought of Howell’s time in Washington, plus his thoughts on the trade. Enjoy!

1.) Howell took a ridiculously high number of sacks (65) and led the NFL with 21 interceptions. How much of that was due to the performance of the offensive line, and how much of it was Howell making bad decisions with the ball regardless of the pressure in his face?

Howell’s sack problems early in the season were a combination of the offensive line, Eric Bieniemy’s play calling, and Howell try to make plays happen. He held the ball too long, and the coaching staff pounded it in to him to get the ball out faster as the season progressed. Howell’s sack numbers went down, and his interceptions started going up as he forced the ball out faster, whether the play was there or not.

2.) What were some of the positive things Howell did that showed glimpses of a possible franchise quarterback?

Howellitzer’s arm strength can’t be denied. He’s also tough as hell, and not afraid to run the ball when needed. Howell’s processing speed limits his potential but in the right offense, with a decent running game, he can be productive.

3.) Was Washington’s inconsistent running game much of a hindrance to Howell’s success?

Eric Bieniemy did Sam Howell no favors in their one, and only, season working together. He gleefully hoped his mentor Andy Reid would be impressed with him calling 55 pass attempts in a row...in an embarrassing loss to the Bears. Bieniemy could never force himself to run the ball enough and didn’t use play action with a struggling offensive line.

4.) Were there any specific passing concepts where Howell was at his best?

Let that man throw it deep! Howell’s got a very pretty deep ball and made some amazing throws that drop in the bucket.

5.) What was your reaction to the trade and the draft capital exchanged?

When Marcus Mariota was signed, the writing was on the wall. I had some hope that Howell would be retained, because I view him as a plus backup, low-end starter-level player. There’s still some debate on the actual value of the pick swap for Washington, but the general consensus is they got the value of a 4th round pick which is better than other QB trades this year.

I liked Sam Howell and had hope for his future in Washington, but I understand why the new regime moved on with the #2 overall pick in their pocket. I’d love to see him go to Seattle and beat out Geno Smith for the starting job, but I think he’ll have a decent career as a backup.

Thanks to Scott for answering my questions! If you want some more Howell content, check out former Hogs Haven contributor Mark Bullock’s Substack article.