Seahawks purchase QB Sam Howell in commerce with Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks acquired quarterback Sam Howell in a commerce with the Washington Commanders on Thursday.

Seattle obtained Howell, a fourth-round choose (No. 102 total) and a sixth-rounder (No. 179) in trade for picks within the third (No. 78) and fifth (No. 152) rounds. The third-rounder the Seahawks are giving up is their very own choose — they’ve an additional choose within the third spherical by way of a commerce with the Denver Broncos final April.

The commerce is pending a bodily.

The commerce for Howell, who began for Washington final season, solidifies the Seahawks’ quarterback depth after Drew Lock agreed to signal with the New York Giants in free company — and it may imply competitors for Geno Smith for the No. 1 job.

Smith and Howell are the one two quarterbacks on Seattle’s roster.

Howell has two years and $2.085 million remaining on the rookie deal he signed with Washington as a fifth-round select of North Carolina in 2022. The Seahawks don’t personal a second-round choose this 12 months, limiting their choices for drafting a quarterback. After the commerce for Howell, they’ve one first-round choose (No. 16 total), a 3rd, two fourths, two sixths and a seventh.

Howell began all 17 video games this previous season, throwing an NFL-high 612 passes. He completed with the twelfth most yards within the NFL with 3,946. He additionally threw 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions and was sacked an NFL-high 65 instances.

Howell hit a stride halfway by the season; after 10 video games, he led the NFL in passing yards (2,783) and was fifth in touchdowns (17). However in his final seven video games, Howell threw solely 4 landing passes and was intercepted 12 instances, and the Commanders misplaced eight in a row to complete the season.

Howell began one recreation in 2022, main Washington to a 26-6 season-finale win over the Dallas Cowboys. Shortly after the season ended, then-Washington coach Ron Rivera proclaimed Howell because the starter getting into the offseason. He maintained the job forward of veteran Jacoby Brissett.

The Commanders signed Marcus Mariota in free company and are anticipated to pick out a quarterback with the No. 2 choose within the draft. The Commanders now have six picks within the prime 100 and 7 within the prime 102.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.