The Washington Commanders took a big chance on instilling Sam Howell as their starting quarterback. But now that he has the spot, Howell isn't looking to give up his QB1 role anytime soon.

Howell has shown sparks of being a franchise quarterback throughout his sophomore campaign. He performed admirably in Washington's Week 9 win over the New England Patriots. But Howell knows one game isn't going to earn him the keys to the castle. He plans to keep working and continue to grind until he proves he is the right guy under center for the Commanders, via John Keim of ESPN.

“I want to be the quarterback here for a really long time,” Howell said. “But how I'm going to get to that point is taking it one day at a time. That's the way I look at it. I never worry about the future.”

In Washington's 20-17 win over the Patriots, Howell completed 29-of-45 passes for 325 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He has now thrown for 2,471 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His yardage total is the second highest in the NFL.

There are plenty of things both Howell and the Commanders can work on. The quarterback needs to limit the interceptions while the team needs to limit the sacks and keep Howell upright in the pocket. However, there are still glimmers of hope that Howell can be the future in Washington.

The Commanders are now 4-5 on the season, just one game out of a Wild Card berth. As Washington looks to climb their way into the playoffs, Sam Howell is looking to future cement himself as the team's QB1.