Commanders will start rookie Sam Howell at quarterback vs. Cowboys
The Washington Commanders will start rookie quarterback Sam Howell on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season finale, head coach Ron Rivera announced on Wednesday.
"We feel that this is an opportunity for us to give Sam a chance to show us what he's capable of," Rivera said. "I think that the opportunity is gonna be a good one for him to go out and play football."
Rivera's announcement comes after Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that Taylor Heinicke would start and Howell would get some time. Rivera acknowledged he considering going with Heinicke but spoke to some in the organization who felt Howell was ready for the opportunity.
"At the end of the day, at some point, if Sam ever gets the opportunity to be a starter, this would be the chance," Rivera said. "Why not get it over with now and go from there. The most important thing is that we're really intrigued in terms of watching and seeing what Sam can do as a quarterback in this league."
Heinicke will be Howell's backup Sunday. Carson Wentz, who returned to the starting lineup and played miserably, will presumably be inactive for the season finale.
Howell, the rookie from North Carolina, showed promise in the preseason. He was 43-of-69 for 547 yards, one touchdown and one interception in three games.
Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen said this week he didn't believe Howell was ready.
The Cowboys are playing for a chance at the NFC East title and the potential No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. For that to happen, Dallas needs to beat the Commanders and for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers to lose.
This is a great evaluation opportunity for Howell against the Cowboys defense.
Paste BN Sports+ producer Victoria Hernandez contributed to this story.