Ron Rivera says Sam Howell is “more than likely” Commanders starting quarterback

Sam Howell gets yet another public endorsement from Commanders head coach Ron Rivera. On January 26th, the Commanders published a one-on-one off-season interview between Senior Vice President of Media and Content Julie Donaldson and head coach Ron Rivera to discuss the coach’s quarterback plans.

Today, Rivera joined Super Bowl Live on NFL Network to discuss the quarterback position again.

The latest endorsement itself did not say Howell “will” be the week one starting quarterback next season, and as of now there is still a chance that Rivera and his staff may like the idea of another quarterback starting in 2023. However, the endorsement did suggest that Rivera is at the very least intrigued with the idea of investing in Howell and allowing him the chance to earn the job. So that could also mean bringing in competition for Howell via free agency or draft, but maybe not the big name option that some thought the Commanders would entertain.

Check out the latest Trap or Dive Film Session below, where I break down Sam Howell’s performance against the Cowboys, what he did well and potential issues.