The Facts: The Commanders have made clear, even after signing veteran Jacoby Brissett, that the starting quarterback job is Howell‘s to lose. The second-year player is QB1 at the start of the offseason program. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do ever since I got here is get into this opportunity,” Howell told Julie Donaldson of the team website. “So, I’m definitely going to try to do everything I can to take advantage of it.”

Diehards Line: Howell, once considered a first-round prospect, fell to the fifth-round last season. He played only one game, a Week 18 start against the Cowboys, saw action on 66 snaps and threw but 19 passes. It was enough to convince the Commanders to give Howell the first shot at the job for 2023. Remember: Howell led the league in passing yards during the preseason, but he sat behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke for the first 17 weeks of the season. In the 26-6 win over the Cowboys in the season finale, Howell threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and ran for 35 yards and a touchdown. “I just feel a lot better coming into this year, knowing that I learned a lot last year, and I know a lot of stuff now that I didn’t know then,” Howell said.