The Washington Commanders traded QB Sam Howell, a 4th round pick, and a 6th round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 3rd round pick and a 5th round pick, all in the 2024 NFL Draft.
File this one under ‘unexpected moves that don’t really change a whole lot’. With new ownership and a new coaching staff installed over the past two offseasons, Howell officially qualified as a relic of regimes past and was promptly shipped out as part of a pick swap with the Seahawks.
Washington is a lock to draft a quarterback in a year where the class is as loaded as it’s been in recent years, and after a very up and down 2023 season, Howell finds himself down a peg on the depth chart behind current Seahawks starter Geno Smith. At this point, Howell is officially a backup and is unlikely to provide any legitimate fantasy value in 2024 barring an injury to or complete and utter collapse from Geno, so fantasy managers who rode the high of Howell’s inflated passing numbers this past season may have to look for other options in 2024. The silver lining for Howell’s fantasy managers: Geno Smith is coming off a down year and is also dealing with a brand new coaching staff. If things would get dicey, Howell could potentially see the field should Geno ever be benched.