Washington Commanders Announce Starting QB For Week 18

The Washington Commanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 17, so ahead of their Week 18 clash with the Dallas Cowboys, it made sense for them to give their fifth-round draft pick a chance, and that's exactly what they've done, as Sam Howell has officially been declared the starter. 

#Commanders coach Ron Rivera announces that rookie QB Sam Howell will start this Sunday vs. the #Cowboys. Makes plenty of sense to take a look at the future.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2023

Reportedly, the job was to be given to Taylor Heinicke to see the season out, but he told the team that the future should be kept in mind, and thus, Head Coach Ron Rivera agreed, and now, the former North Carolina stud will get his first shot at the NFL level.

It's become clear in recent times that Carson Wentz is clearly not the starter going forward, and Heinicke's struggled could lead them to look for a new QB in the off-season, so in their regular season finale, giving their rookie a shot just makes sense, as he could compete for the starting job in 2023 and beyond.

Photo Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports