Seahawks trading for Commanders QB Sam Howell, sources say

The Seattle Seahawks are acquiring quarterback Sam Howell in a trade with the Washington Commanders, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

Seattle will receive Howell, a fourth-round pick (No. 102 overall) and a sixth-rounder (No. 179) in exchange for picks in the third (No. 78) and fifth (No. 152) rounds, the sources told Schefter. The third-rounder the Seahawks are giving up is their own pick — they have an extra pick in the third round via a trade with the Denver Broncos last April.

The trade for Howell, who started for Washington last season, solidifies the Seahawks’ quarterback depth after Drew Lock agreed to sign with the New York Giants in free agency — and it could mean competition for Geno Smith for the No. 1 job.

Smith and Howell are the only two quarterbacks on Seattle’s roster.

Howell has two years and $2.085 million remaining on the rookie deal he signed with Washington as a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina in 2022. The Seahawks do not own a second-round pick this year, limiting their options for drafting a quarterback. After the trade for Howell, they have one first-round pick (No. 16 overall), a third, two fourths, two sixths and a seventh.

Howell started all 17 games this past season, throwing an NFL-high 612 passes. He finished with the 12th most yards in the NFL with 3,946. He also threw 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions and was sacked an NFL-high 65 times.

Howell hit a stride midway through the season and, after 10 games, led the NFL in passing yards (2,783) and was fifth in touchdowns (17). But in his last seven games, Howell threw only four touchdown passes and was intercepted 12 times as the Commanders lost eight in a row.

Howell started one game in 2022, leading Washington to a 26-6 season-finale win over the Dallas Cowboys. Shortly after the season ended, then-Washington coach Ron Rivera proclaimed Howell as the starter entering the offseason. He maintained the job ahead of veteran Jacoby Brissett.

The Commanders signed Marcus Mariota in free agency and also own the No. 2 pick in the draft and are expected to select a quarterback. The Commanders now have six picks in the top 100 and seven in the top 102.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.