The Seattle Seahawks quarterback room is already full. With Geno Smith poised to bounce back from a down year, the team raised eyebrows when they signed Sam Howell in NFL Free Agency. While it is not unconditional that a team signs another signal-caller to sharpen their starter, it looks like General Manager John Schneider and Coach Mike Macdonald reeled him in for a different set of reasons.

John Schneider was asked about the role that Sam Howell will take in the Seahawks offense. This prompted the general manager to unveil the reasoning behind their NFL Free Agency move.

The idea was simple for the Seahawks' big boss, ‘Geno is the guy and Sam will be backing him up.'Schneider then emphasized that Howell is a year younger than Bo Nix, a 2024 NFL Draft prospect, and that ‘as of right now it's not like we are signing him to go ahead and compete with Geno to be the starter, per Wyman and Bob of 710 Seattle Sports.

Geno Smith is still well into his prime and all Howell could really do from now is learn from him. But, the current Seahawks QB1 does have work to do after falling short of reaching the postseason. His 4,282 passing yards dropped from 2022 to 3,624 passing yards this season. Moreover, his 20 touchdowns did not make up for the nine interceptions that he accumulated.

There is still a lot to work on for the Seahawks before they get back into title contention.

What the Seahawks get out of Howell

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
GM John Schneider in the middle, Kris Jenkins, Cooper Beebe, Cedric Gray around him, and Seattle Seahawks wallpaper in the background

Enzo Flojo ·

A blank silhouette/outline of a person with the logo for the Seattle Seahawks in the middle. On either side of the silhouette/outline are University of Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and University of Georgia tackle Amarius Mims.

Ben Strauss ·

Former Mike Macdonald and Geno Smith mentor Pete Carroll with John Schneider

Jay Postrado ·

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) drops back to pass as Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (96)
© Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Two years with the Washington Commanders exposed what Howell needed to work on. He does great things in the passing game which netted him 3,946 yards last season but his 78.9 rating says it all.

The main thing Smith and the Seahawks have to help him with is his pass accuracy. For every one of his 22 touchdowns throughout his tenure with the Commanders, Howell recorded an interception. The former North Carolina quarterback should be a sponge in the Seahawks system given all the errors he committed in his first two years. Hopefully, he shows significant signs of improvement after this risky NFL Free Agency move.