The Washington Commanders appeared dead set to have second-year quarterback Sam Howell become their starting quarterback for the upcoming 2023-24 season. However, head coach Ron Rivera revealed on Tuesday that it may not be as simple as that.
Washington also brought in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett this offseason to serve in a veteran role with the team. Rivera discussed the Commanders’ quarterback situation, saying that Brissett is still in the running to be their Week 1 starter.
“Just because I said he’s going to start off as QB1 doesn’t mean he’s going to finish as QB1,” Rivera said of Howell via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I like to believe, though, that if he goes out and does the things he’s capable of, he’s got a very good chance of doing that. I think Jacoby has shown us some things that have really gotten people’s attention. We talk about Jacoby almost as much as we talk about Sam. I just think as we go through this process, until we play games, it would be unfair to start making assessments.”
It’s certainly surprising to hear this from Rivera, who had already said that Howell was their starting quarterback. Brissett is seen by most to be a great backup quarterback, but not exactly the ideal starter for most teams.
Brissett most recently got a chance to start for the Cleveland Browns last season due to Deshaun Watson’s suspension. He didn’t exactly light the world on fire with his opportunity, throwing for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 starts. More importantly, the Browns went just 4-7 in his starts.
Most would assume that the Commanders would want to see what they have in Howell as their starter. Instead, it seems like they have a real quarterback competition on their hands.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.