CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sam Howell, a former standout at Sun Valley High School who starred at the University of North Carolina, will make his first NFL start for the Washington Commanders in Sunday's regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, the team announced Wednesday.
Howell will start over Taylor Henicke, head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday. Howell was drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He hasn't appeared in any regular season games this season.
Howell garnered national attention while at Sun Valley High School and was one of the top-ranked prep quarterbacks in the country. He took his talents to Chapel Hill, where he was a three-year starter for Mack Brown and the Tar Heels.
He was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was named second-team All-ACC in 2020, guiding the Tar Heels to the Orange Bowl. Howell left North Carolina holding program records for passing yards (10,283), passing touchdowns (92) and total touchdowns accounted for (111).
Washington was eliminated from playoff contention after last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Commanders have missed the playoffs the last two seasons since winning the NFC East in 2020.
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