Quarterback Sam Howell filled his backup role as best he could while learning behind Washington Commanders quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.

At the end of the Commanders’ 2022 season he got his first start against the Dallas Cowboys and immediately showed flashes of the talent that once had him projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.

READ MORE: Years Later Trent Williams Trade Still Haunts Washington

While Washington got Howell in the fifth round and waited 16 regular season games before giving him his first shot, the quarterback eventually started all 17 games in a four-win 2023 campaign that saw Howell sacked a league-high 65 times while throwing 21 interceptions.

“I think I could play some smarter ball. I think there were times where we were down big in some games, I was a little too aggressive just trying to make something happen trying to get us back in the game,” Howell said according to Jon Alfano of All Seahawks. “The turnovers are just way too high for what I wanted and what the team needed.”

“In this league to be able to play, you’ve got to compete and that’s what I’m willing to do, no matter what the situation is, no matter who the starter is.”

– Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback

It’s classic Howell to not let the blame land anywhere else but himself, but those who watched the Commanders closely last year know that it’s not all on the young quarterback. Perhaps more blame is owed to the coaching staff that has since departed, and then there’s some that needs to live with the roster around him.

Most of us here witnessing the launch of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ career still believe there’s a future NFL starter waiting in the wings in the Pacific Northwest. Even if Howell has to sit behind yet another more veteran quarterback while he waits for his next chance.

“In this league to be able to play, you’ve got to compete and that’s what I’m willing to do, no matter what the situation is, no matter who the starter is. If I’m the starter, I’m coming to compete every single day,” Howell told reporters Thursday . “Geno has been great. I’ve learned a lot from Geno and he’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for him and everything he’s been through in his career.”

Smith is almost the perfect quarterback to take a cast-out starter under his wing because he knows a thing or two about that situation. Even though Smith’s fall came from much higher heights, and is considered to be more about him than Howell’s departure from Washington is.

READ MORE: Logan Paulsen’s Early Takeaways from Quarterback Jayden Daniels

After being drafted No. 2 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft out of West Virginia, Smith spent four seasons with the New York Jets before eventually heading to the New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, and finally the Seattle Seahawks where he got his second chance at being a franchise quarterback.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.