With the 2025 NFL preseason officially in the books, many Philadelphia Eagles are wondering who will make the final 53-man roster, and who will be the third quarterback when the season begins on September 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Throughout the summer and preseason, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord were battling it out to see who would come away as the QB3. However, neither player pulled away in the competition, leaving a lot of questions, especially with backup Tanner McKee banged up with a finger injury.
That said, the Eagles might’ve found a solution to their QB3 woes, as they shockingly made a trade, sealing the fate of Thompson-Robinson and McCord.
Trade! The #Vikings are trading QB Sam Howell to the #Eagles, per me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2025
It’s a 5th in 2026 and 7th in 2027 to MIN, while PHI Howell and 6th in 2026. Minnesota, which recently hosted Carson Wentz on a visit, now has a QB opening. And Philly gets more QB depth. pic.twitter.com/LSLeYhMRPg
Eagles Acquire QB Sam Howell from Minnesota Vikings Before Cutdown Deadline
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Minnesota Vikings traded Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pelissero adds that the Vikings will get a fifth-round pick in 2026 and a seventh-round pick in 2027, while the Eagles will get a sixth-round selection in 2026.
Eagles fans are somewhat familiar with the 24-year-old Howell, who started his career with the Washington Commanders. The Commanders took Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where he would become the full-time starter in his second year (2023).
During the 2023 season, Howell completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 TDs, and 21 interceptions. The young quarterback also had 263 rushing yards and five touchdowns, despite being sacked 65 times (league-high).
After his second season with the Commanders, Washington surprisingly traded Howell to the Seattle Seahawks last offseason. Howell only appeared in two games as he served mostly as the QB3 in the Pacific Northwest.
From there, Howell was traded during draft weekend to the Minnesota Vikings. Howell wasn’t overly spectacular in the preseason with Minnesota, as he only completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 118 yards and an interception.
Howell got outperformed by an undrafted free agent QB in Max Brosmer, which definitely played a role in the Vikings shipping him to Philly. Now the ex-Commanders quarterback will look for a fresh start in Philadelphia, where he can hopefully develop behind McKee and Jalen Hurts.