Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera named Sam Howell the official starting quarterback over Jacoby Brissett. Howell gave his honest thoughts on the announcement, and he couldn't be more excited, reports ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith.

“He [Ron Rivera] just told me that he's excited for me, he believes in me and he trusts me. To hear that from him means a lot. I'm always confident in my abilities. I'm always confident in my ability to come out and perform for this football team. All my work is ahead of me. This is only the beginning, I have a lot of work ahead of me, and that's what I'm focused on right now.”

Commanders fans should be excited about Sam Howell being named their starter given the praise that he has gotten from Ron Rivera and the coaching staff out of training camp. Not to mention, fans will always want a quarterback who is authentic about the confidence in his abilities, and Howell definitely sounds like he is up to the task.

The tides seem to be turning in Washington after a long, rough era under owner Dan Snyder. New owner Josh Harris has done all the right things so far if all accounts are to be trusted, and the Commanders are building a young, exciting roster on the field.

Stay tuned into Commanders training camp and any more updates surrounding Sam Howell in the aftermath of him earning the starting quarterback spot. Washington fans should limit expectations as of right now, but it looks like there can finally be some hope in D.C.