Once there was a time when there weren't many former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks floating around the NFL. That was because after Russell Wilson was drafted in 2012, he remained the team's starter through 2021. He was so rarely injured, his backups never played.
But now, there are a bunch. Wilson is on his third team in three seasons, as he is expected to be the starter in Week 1 for the New York Giants. Geno Smith, the Seahawks' starter for the last three years, is now with the Las Vegas Raiders. Sam Howell was a backup in 2024 and is now with the Minnesota Vikings.
Unlike Wilson and Smith, Howell has a real chance of going from 2023 starter to completely out of the NFL before Week 1 of 2025. Even if Smith and Wilson fail early in the season, they are probably going to stick with their teams. Howell was atrocious for Seattle last year and needs a very good preseason Week 3 to stay with the Vikings.
Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell could be playing his last down for the Minnesota Vikings
This is according to The Viking Age's Adam Patrick, who noted that the presumed backup battle to J.J. McCarthy will come down to Howell, 2025 undrafted free agent Max Brosmer, and Brett Rypien. Howell likely lost ground during preseason Week 2 because he was so awful.
The former Seahawks quarterback went one for five for 13 yards and a terrible interception where Howell twirled around, looked lost, and simply tossed the ball to no one in particular. It was the kind of throw that would be a mistake if 10-year-olds were in someone's backyard playing.
For an NFL quarterback to make the throw, even in a preseason game, could be detrimental to one's career. If Howell can't make it in Minnesota, he might not make it anywhere. Not because the Vikings don't have good players, but because head coach Kevin O'Connell is a quarterback whisperer.
The Seattle Seahawks certainly hope so. Current QB1 Sam Darnold played with the Vikings in 2024 and had his best season. General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald hope Darnold translates 2024 success to 2025 greatness.
As for Sam Howell, he was error-prone when he was the starter for the Washington Commanders in 2023. In one half of football for Seattle last year, he made it crystal clear he should never be the team's starter. He might have shown he shouldn't even be the backup.
Teams don't like quarterbacks that throw a lot of interceptions, and Howell does. The Minnesota Vikings play their final preseason game of 2025 on Friday. It could be the game where Howell has the last snap of his career.
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