Until Aaron Rodgers officially signs — which is no sure thing after his recent public comments on the “Pat McAfee Show” — the Pittsburgh Steelers should be open to any and all options at quarterback. And a new one just emerged.
On the evening of April 18, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler collaborated with Seattle Seahawks beat reporter Brady Henderson to report that Sam Howell is now available via trade.
“The Seahawks are open to trading Sam Howell and have received inquiries from teams interested in acquiring their backup quarterback, sources have told ESPN,” the report began.
Continuing: “That interest comes on the heels of the Seahawks adding Drew Lock last week, re-signing Geno Smith’s former backup to potentially fill the same role behind new starter Sam Darnold. Jaren Hall is their fourth quarterback, giving Seattle a potential surplus at the position.”
Howell is still only 24 years old — turning 25 in September — and was recently a full-time starter with the Washington Commanders. He showed some upside during his second NFL season in 2023, throwing for just under 4,000 yards. Howell also rushed for 263 yards and found the end zone for a combined 26 passing or rushing touchdowns.
Obviously, since Washington quickly moved on from Howell after one campaign, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.
Howell threw 21 interceptions over the course of 17 starts, with 65 sacks, 4 fumbles and a QBR of 42.4 out of 100. He led a flawed Washington team to a 4-13 record.
Is Sam Howell a Better Starting Option for Steelers Than Mason Rudolph?
It should be noted that after trading third- and fifth-round selections in exchange for Howell and picks in the fourth and sixth rounds, Seattle is now ready to move on as well.
Clearly, the Seahawks believed Darnold was the better long-term option after watching Howell at practice every day last season so he’s no slam dunk. But he would serve as a potential one-year flier alongside Mason Rudolph.
A trade like this would serve as further insurance in the event Rodgers doesn’t sign. The 41-year-old QB has hinted that retirement is still on the table, and it’s also possible he could just wait until the inevitable quarterback injury later this summer or fall.
With Howell, the Steelers would at least have two serviceable options, and this route would be far less risky than spending a first-round pick on a weaker QB class.
Just for the record, in eight appearances (five starts) with the Tennessee Titans last season, Rudolph’s accumulative QBR rating was a 55.5 out of 100. So, his overall quarterback impact both positive and negative was deemed to be slightly better than Howell’s in 2023.
Rudolph actually achieved an even better QBR over 70 during two of his campaigns with the Steelers, but both occurred in stints of five appearances or fewer.
Having said that, Rudolph has never had a full year where he produced like Howell did in 2023, and the Seahawks trade candidate is a better runner too. Both also have similar career completion percentages and interception rates.
Steelers Could Create a Quarterback Competition Between Mason Rudolph & Sam Howell
A trade pursuit like this one may not solve the Steelers’ quarterback problem, but at the very least, it creates some competition at the position.
As noted above, Rudolph and Howell are within the same ballpark in terms of talent. Allowing for a pretty fair QB battle similar to Russell Wilson versus Justin Fields a season ago.
But a move like this only occurs if Pittsburgh passes on the quarterback position first round.
If the Steelers determine that they are all-in on Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough, they should draft them at No. 21 overall. If they are 50-50, they should punt on the position and offer up a mid- to late-round pick swap for Howell.
There should be several promising QB options in the 2026 draft, and trading for the very affordable Howell doesn’t preclude Pittsburgh from signing Rodgers later on.
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