The Philadelphia Eagles have a superstar quarterback in Jalen Hurts at their disposal, which is a luxury that not many teams in the NFL have. If there were any doubts about Hurts, he erased them in 2024 when he led the Eagles on a dominant championship run, which was capped off with a 40-22 victory in Super Bowl LIX.
However, that hasn’t stopped the Eagles from swinging several deals at the quarterback position over the past year or so. After trading for Kenny Pickett, then using him to acquire Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Philadelphia picked up another quarterback on Sunday in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
Eagles Acquire Sam Howell in Trade with Vikings
You can never have enough protection at the quarterback position, which is something the Eagles know quite well. While they won the Super Bowl last year, they had to navigate a tricky stretch late in the season when Hurts was forced to miss a pair of games with a concussion. With Pickett behind him, Philly managed to remain competitive during his brief absence.
Pickett got sent to the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason, though, with Thompson-Robinson coming back the other way. Beyond him and Hurts, Philadelphia also has Tanner McKee and Kyle McCord at its disposal. However, McKee has been dealing with a finger injury, and it could result in him missing the start of the regular season. With McCord unlikely to make the initial 53-man roster, that could leave just Hurts and Thompson-Robinson at quarterback for the Eagles.
The front office didn’t like that possibility, so they decided to bring another quarterback to town. That led them to the Vikings, where Sam Howell had become expendable with Carson Wentz being signed in free agency. When all was said and done, Philadelphia gave up a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
“We have agreed to acquire QB Sam Howell and a 2026 6th-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 7th-round pick. We have waived/injured DB Lewis Cine,” the Eagles announced in a post on X.
Eagles Take Flier on Sam Howell Ahead of 2025 Campaign
GettySam Howell #8 of the Minnesota Vikings warm up before facing the New England Patriots.
Howell broke into the league after getting selected by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2023, Howell started all 17 games for the Commanders, and while he threw for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns, he also threw a league-leading 21 interceptions, with Washington only winning four games. Over the ensuing offseason, he got traded to the Seattle Seahawks before he was dealt to the Vikings during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Now, Howell will work as Hurts’ top backup to begin the new season, with McKee presumably set to miss time due to his aforementioned injury. Thompson-Robinson will probably stick around as the No. 3 quarterback, with McCord being a practice squad candidate. No team puts more effort into reinforcing the most important position in the game than the Eagles, and with this small deal, they have proved that once again.
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