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The Commanders' recent contract agreement with Marcus Mariota suggests Howell may be on the trade block, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

The other interpretation, which seems less likely, is that the Commanders will let Howell compete with Mariota for the starting job rather than drafting a quarterback early this April. The team owns the No. 2 overall pick, with most reports to date suggesting Washington will select either UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels. There was a point in 2023 when it looked like the Commanders might have found their franchise QB in Howell, but he then had a 4:12 TD:INT over the final seven games of the regular season while completing only 57.7 percent of his passes for 5.4 yards per attempt. Washington went 0-7 during that stretch. The 2022 fifth-round pick ended up starting all 17 games, but only because backup Jacoby Brissett suffered a hamstring injury in practice shortly after being promoted to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. Howell should have suitors if the Commanders decide to trade him, given that he has two years left on his rookie contract and averaged 278.3 passing yards and 1.7 TDs over the first 10 games of 2023. That said, the best he can likely hope for is a shot to compete with another player for a starting job.

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