The Seattle Seahawks traded for quarterback Sam Howell from the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason, but the Los Angeles Rams apparently tried to acquire him first, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media.
During a recent episode on the Puck Sports podcast, Garafolo stated that the Rams pursued Howell before he ultimately chose Seattle.
Garafolo went so far as to suggest that the Los Angeles coaching staff wanted Howell “badly,” which is not surprising considering Sean McVay’s successful track record with quarterbacks.
The Seahawks were clearly willing to go a step further than the Rams, offering the Commanders a third-round draft pick and a fifth-rounder in exchange for Howell.
Washington selected Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, after he played collegiate football at the University of North Carolina.
He made just one start in his debut season, going 11-for-19 for 169 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
The 23-year-old was chosen the Commanders’ starter for 2023, and he led the NFL with 21 interceptions last season. He also threw for 3,946 yards and 23 touchdowns, completing 63.4 percent of his passes and finishing with a passer rating of 78.9. Furthermore, he was sacked 65 times, the most in the league.
Washington has the second overall pick in the draft later this month and will almost surely select a signal-caller, thus the decision was made to move on from Howell.
The Rams simply weren’t ready to give with as much draft money as the Seahawks.
