The Seattle Seahawks signed Sam Darnold in free agency and that officially means the starting quarterback position is taken this season. The Seahawks didn't sign Darnold to have him compete for the starting job. That could leave Sam Howell as a trade candidate, or at least that's what Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report proposed.
"Howell is entering the final year of his rookie contract and could be available if the Seahawks aren't planning to keep him beyond this season. He won't get a chance to compete for the starting job in Seattle, but he might be a viable option elsewhere."
The typical argument against this proposed trade is that the Seahawks would want to be prepared should Darnold not play well and Howell would be a nice backup to have. Well, with the Seahawks being able to get out of Darnold's year after one year if he doesn't live up to the hype, trading their backup option makes sense.
Either Darnold plays well and cements himself as the long-term starting quarterback of the Seahawks or he peters out and then the team moves on from him in the offseason. If their record is poor enough, perhaps they can spend a draft pick next year on a quarterback.
Trading Sam Howell could make sense for the Seahawks
Howell had some hype coming out of college in 2022 but he slid to the fifth round. The Commanders took him in round five and he started one game for them as a rookie and then all 17 in 2023. The lack of protection in Washington didn't help the fifth-rounder as he was sacked 65 times but there were glimpses of potential there so much so that Seattle traded for him last offseason.
Howell appeared in two games for the Seahawks in 2024 and with this being the final year of his contract, perhaps now is the perfect time to trade him. A quarterback-needy team could be willing to overpay for Howell and since the Seahawks don't necessarily need him, a trade makes perfect sense.