New Washington Commanders rookie Sam Howell took the entire franchise by storm in his preseason stint. He surprised coaches, players, and fans alike with his incredible play.

Starting off with Carolina he went 9/16 passing, and threw for 145 yards, along with 2 rushing touchdowns. He rushed for 19 yards as well, showing that he can create opportunities for him and the team to score with his legs. What was more amazing was how he changed the game when he came in, before he came in Washington was down two scores, but Sam brought his team back in contention to win, even though they couldn’t get it done. He definitely showed that he deserved a spot in the rotation.

Two weeks later he played in a good test for him against Baltimore. He played even better than he did his first week. He threw 24/35 with 280 passing yards and as passing touchdown. He displayed his ability to run even more this week as well. He competed with Baltimore all game and once again showed everyone that he deserved to have a chance to play.

Unfortunately, Sam does have some people doubting him, along with the entire Commanders franchise. Senior Stephen McDonald said, “Due to the incompetence of the Washington Commanders, Sam Howell will not play.” Despite the harsh words, he is not completely wrong. Sam won’t play this season but he has a great chance of starting in the future.

Fellow senior Anthony Miller agrees, saying, “I believe Sam Howell showed several flashes of being a starting QB in the preseason with his ability to extend plays with his legs by buying more time in the pocket and being able to scramble which is needed due to a poor Commanders O-line.” All of this is true, he is a mobile QB who can extend plays and run out the pocket, which is what the Commanders need until the offensive line is improved.

Sam Howell is a remarkable talent and he will see success in the future, but as of right now he has plenty of time to improve for that time to come.