Washington Commanders backtrack, now say Jacoby Brissett is competing for starting QB gig

For whatever reason, the Washington Commanders have seemed quite content with their quarterback situation all offseason. While Jacoby Brissett was added in free agency, the front office has done nothing else to improve the QB depth chart this offseason, yet both Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz have since moved on.

Even when NFL MVP Lamar Jackson was reportedly available as a free agent, allowing any NFL team to present an offer, the Commanders didn’t flinch. They chose to stick with the combination of Sam Howell and the recently signed Brissett.

Then the NFL draft came along, and the Commanders, who held the 16th pick, once again didn’t alter their plans at the QB position. Will Levis slipped past the Commanders once and finally went to the Tennessee Titans at 33, and later on, Hendon Hooker did the same, freefalling to the 68th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. A total of 13 QBs were drafted in April, but the Commanders? Not a single one.

Despite previously touting the second-year-pro Howell, the 144th pick last season, as the team’s starter in 2023, now coach Ron Rivera is preaching a different story.

“Just because I said he’s going to start off as QB1 doesn’t mean he’s going to finish as QB1. 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.”
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera on team’s QB situation

The sudden change of plans makes one wonder if Howell has given the Commanders reasons to believe the 22-year-old may not be ready for a starting role. Yet, the Commanders are also installing a new offense, with first-year offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy taking over playcalling duties. This means Howell has to start from scratch, learning a new offense yet again.

Whereas Brissett is going on his eighth NFL season and is set to play for his fifth different team. He’s well-versed in picking up a new offense. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the journeyman was one or two steps ahead of his peers at this point in the offseason. Still, it’s notable that Howell’s grip on the starting job seems to already be loosening.