Former North Carolina football star Sam Howell signs rookie contract with Washington Commanders

Sam Howell officially signed his rookie deal with the Washington Commanders on Friday according to the NFL wire.

The former North Carolina quarterback — who fell to the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft when Washington called his name — was one of several draft picks and free agents to participate in the Commanders’ rookie minicamp that began Friday afternoon.

Howell, a former On3 Consensus four-star recruit coming out of the Class of 2019, put together a successful collegiate career for the Tar Heels – totaling 10,283 passing yards and 92 touchdowns over three seasons with the program. Howell had a strong season in 2021, as he threw for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns to go along with 828 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. 

A 6-foot-1, 220-pound signal-caller, Sam Howell was ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in the country in the 2019 recruiting class coming out of Sun Valley (N.C.) High School. He held scholarship offers from a number of top-tier programs – including Clemson, Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Michigan – before choosing to stay home and play at North Carolina. 

Looking at his stats from last season, Howell threw for 307 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Virginia on Sept. 18 and put up 321 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Duke on Oct. 2. He heads to the Commanders after playing in 37 career games at UNC, meaning that he brings plenty of experience to the NFL level. 

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Sam Howell

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down what Howell can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the quarterback’s draft profile. The analyst compared the former North Carolina star to Chase Daniel, who is currently a quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers. 

“Stocky, three-year starter who plays with admirable confidence despite inconsistencies in important areas as a passer,” Zierlein said. “Howell attacks the field working from deep to short when he’s allowed. He’s not a classic full-field reader at this point but has pocket poise and mobility to potentially develop in that area in the future. He muscles throws, hindering his accuracy on drive throws but has adequate arm strength and can expedite off-platform throws. Sam Howell doesn’t throw with nearly enough timing or ball placement, which forces wideouts into the boundaries or to break stride, limiting their YAC potential. 

“He flashed impressive dual-threat talent in 2021, which should work in his favor. The 2021 tape was bumpy but his makeup is really good and improvement is likely with better pieces around him. Howell isn’t wired for or suited to a ball-control passing attack and might need a vertical passing scheme capable of creating explosive plays in order to succeed.”

For now, it looks like Sam Howell will get a chance to learn behind Carson Wentz, who Washington traded for this offseason but it certainly feels like there will be an opportunity for the former UNC standout to start in the future.