The Washington Commanders have undergone many changes this offseason. The team is in their first full offseason under owner Josh Harris, they fired head coach Ron Rivera after four seasons with the team, hired Dan Quinn as a replacement, hired general manager Adam Peters and brought in Kliff Kingsbury as the offensive coordinator after going 4-13 in 2023.
Quinn is referring to this phase of the Commanders as a "recalibrate" rather than a "rebuild."
"So no, you will not hear me say the word 'rebuild' at all," the new head coach said.
This recalibration includes answering the quarterback question, which could come during the NFL Draft. The team has five picks in the first three rounds, including the No. 2 overall pick. They also have a league-high in salary cap space with an estimated $73.6 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
Last season, quarterback Sam Howell started all 17 games, with a 63.4 completion percentage, 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, an NFL worst. Howell, was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Carolina, lead the Commanders to a 2-0 start, but the success did not continue. With a new coach and general manager, as well as a high draft pick, there is a good chance that they want to start fresh with a new QB.
Howell's time in Washington could be coming to an end and according to reports, there are multiple teams interested in the third-year quarterback. While Howell's performance last season was far from perfect, the 23-year-old still has value that could turn into a draft pick for the Commanders.
Washington could also lose quarterback Jacoby Brissett in free agency.
Kingsbury reportedly likes USC's Caleb Williams, but he may not be available at No. 2. Drake Maye out of North Carolina and Jayden Daniels out of LSU are two other top options heading into April's draft.