The Seattle Seahawks used to be one of the more stable franchises in terms of keeping quarterbacks around. General manager John Schneider has only taken three QBs in the draft since 2010, but the third only came in 2025 (Jalen Milroe). That's what happens when Russell Wilson is QB1 for a decade.
While the team seems set now with Sam Darnold as the starter, more former Seattle quarterbacks were floating around the NFL the last two offseasons than in recent memory. That included Wilson, who has since retired and will become a CBS football analyst, and three-year starter Geno Smith. The list also includes Sam Howell.
Howell was traded last offseason to the Minnesota Vikings, but then was traded from the Vikings to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the season. He didn't see action in any games in 2025. He's also only been in the league for almost five seasons, so being on his fifth team in five years is not a good sign.
Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell might be struggling to stay in the NFL
He is currently with the Dallas Cowboys, but his problem is that he is running as QB3 behind starter Dak Prescott and QB2 Joe Milton. More tellingly, Milton has done nothing in the league so far, but has a law of raw talent. Still, Dallas seems more content having him replace Prescott, should Prescott get hurt, than trusting Howell.
Howell even has starting experience. In 2023, he started every game for the Washington Commanders, the team that chose him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and led the league in pass attempts with 612. He also led the league in interceptions with 21 and was sacked 65 times.
If Sam Howell doesn't make it with the Cowboys in 2026, he might be pressing his luck to stay in the league. Other teams have already given up on him, and many others might not want him to take up a roster spot. Maybe he could land with the New England Patriots if he is released ahead of the season by Dallas, but simply because Howell is good friends with Pats starter Drake Maye.
What is clear is that the Seattle Seahawks saw something they didn't like about Howell, and that might have had to do with the one game in which he saw significant action in the Pacific Northwest. After Geno Smith left with an injury in Week 15 of the 2024 season, Howell entered and was awful. He completed five of 14 passes for 24 yards and an interception. He looked lost.
It might still be. He's on his third team in a calendar year and doesn't have a promising future for the Cowboys. Sam Howell could be the second former Seattle Seahawks quarterback to be looking for a job outside of playing football before the new season begins.
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