New Seahawks $78 Million Star QB Player Agreed To Leave Due To…

The Seattle Seahawks have a new backup quarterback on the roster, and it’s certainly an intriguing name.

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Seattle recently acquired Sam Howell, who started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders last season, to come sit behind and learn from Geno Smith.

Howell now gets a fresh start in Seattle, and it’s something he’s excited about, as he shared with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk Wednesday morning.

“A couple of days before the trade was announced, I kind of knew that (the Commanders) were kind of listening to trade offers,” Howell said. “The GM in Washington, Adam Peters, was very good to me and kind of kept me in the loop the whole time. And Adam knew that Seattle was a place that I was interested in going to.”

“Adam just kind of told me at the end of the day it came down to Seattle wanted me more than anybody else. And I’m happy with it. I’m happy to be a Seahawk,” Howell later said.

So why was Howell interested in joining the Seahawks?

“We played there last year. I love the organization,” he said, “I’ve heard a lot of really good things about the organization. It’s a really fun place to play. And I spent a few days in city last year when we played out there and it seemed like a cool place to be and I’m really excited for a fresh start. And the opportunity to be behind Geno, I have a lot of respect for Geno, so I’m really excited about it.”

It’s been made clear that Howell isn’t coming to Seattle to compete for Smith’s job, and that’s something he noted to Brock and Salk.

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“Obviously Geno’s still the guy and I’m gonna try to do everything I can to just come in and work and just try to get better,” Howell said. “And it’s got to be a good teammate and support Geno and do whatever I can to help the team win. But at the same time, always trying to compete and every single time I step out on the field, I’m always trying to show these guys what I can do and what I’m capable of.”

“I thought I did some good things last year and definitely showed some ability to play in this league. I’m very thankful to (Seahawks general manager John Schneider) for reaching out and giving me this opportunity,” Howell later said.

Howell, a fourth-round pick in 2022, passed for just under 4,000 yards last year with 21 touchdowns in 17 starts, but he also threw more interceptions and took more sacks than any quarterback in football.

“Obviously the interceptions, I’ve just got to do a better job,” he said. “There were some times where we were down in some games and I was just trying to be a little aggressive and at times maybe just tried to do a little too much, trying to give us a chance. But I’ve got to be smarter, got to play smarter football, got to play winning football. And at times I was doing it, so just doing it at a more consistent rate. And I feel confident about my ability to do that. It’s just a matter of if I get an opportunity I’ve got to go out there and show it.”

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What John Schneider said about Seahawks’ ‘need’ on offensive line…

The initial flurry of NFL free agency has slowed down, and with less than a month until the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off, the Seattle Seahawks have two clear starters on the offensive line.

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Seattle is set at the two tackle spots, with 2022 draft picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas set to return at left and right tackle, respectively. The Seahawks also have good insurance behind those two with the return of George Fant in free agency.

But the interior of the offensive line remains a big question for the Seahawks. They made some minor moves in free agency so far, but no clear starters have emerged at guard or center.

That could change soon, either in free agency or the draft, Seahawks general manager and president of football operations John Schneider told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Friday.

“We’re going to be bringing a couple veteran offensive linemen through (for visits during) this second phase of free agency and then (be) comparing that to what the draft looks like,” Schneider said. “Anytime you’re just drafting for need – that is a need on our team right now, I think it’s fairly obvious – but we like so many young guys (like Raiqwon) O’Neil, McClendon Curtis. I mean, there’s some guys in there, some younger guys that we like, too, that we’ve added … There’s some young players that a fan may not necessarily know, but that we’re excited about in the mix.”

Schneider also pointed to free-agent additions Nick Harris (center) and Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (guard) as players the Seahawks are excited about.

And then, of course, there’s the draft, where the Seahawks could use early picks to draft top offensive line prospects.

“What does the draft look like and then what are the different levels? What are the cut offs? How far do you push to go get a guy or to fall back to get into another group of players where there may be three or four guys as compared to the talent level at one specific player or prospect?” Schneider said. “We’ll be constantly evaluating that over the next four weeks here.”

“I know there can be an uneasiness of not having things as solid or ‘fixed,’ you know? But it’s a constant process,” Schneider later said. “I think (head coach Mike Macdonald) said it the other day, ‘We’re not playing next week.’ So we’re gonna constantly be working on everything.”