The Seattle Seahawks have had a bit of a quarterback carousel, at least when it comes to the backup position, as of late. Last offseason, Seattle traded for former Washington Commanders starting quarterback Sam Howell. Seattle was not in a position to trade up for one of the top prospects from the 2024 NFL draft class and they needed a backup. Why not take a chance on a young quarterback with plenty of potential? The Seahawks were interested in Howell, and the feeling was mutual from the Commanders signal caller as well.
After only one season, it appears the Seahawks are finished with the Howell experiment. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson, Seattle is reportedly open to trading Howell… and other teams have expressed interest in acquiring his services.
The #Seahawks are open to trading QB Sam Howell and have received inquiries from teams, sources told @BradyHenderson and me. https://t.co/IDSAILLaxd
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 19, 2025
Howell took meaningful snaps in only one game for Seattle last year, and it was an unmitigated disaster. During the Seahawks’ Week 15 blowout 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, starter Geno Smith exited the game in the second half with a knee injury. Howell came in and was simply dreadful, completing only 5-of-14 passes for 24 yards and an interception. He also took four sacks as well.
When Seattle brought Drew Lock back last week, initial reports said he would be the backup to Howell. My initial reaction was it seemed unlikely the Seahawks would keep both quarterbacks, and this report from Fowler and Henderson appears to be validating this hypothesis. Given Howell’s age (24, will turn 25 in September) and relatively unknown ceiling, it makes sense there would still be teams out there willing to take one last chance on him.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seattle Seahawks open to trading quarterback Sam Howell