After underwhelming performances from Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie Kyle McCord in the preseason, the Philadelphia Eagles decided that they needed a new option at the QB3 spot heading into this season.
Just days after their preseason finale against the New York Jets, the Eagles made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, acquiring Sam Howell, who got outplayed by undrafted free agent QB Max Brosmer.
The Eagles’ decision to get a new quarterback wasn’t shocking, given the performances of Thompson-Robinson and McCord in the exhibition slate.
However, it was surprising to see Philadelphia trade for Howell, who was a starter for one season in Washington, but has been traded now three times since March 2024. With the Eagles, Howell will be the QB3, but that isn’t his impacting mentality ahead of the season.
“I’ll be ready to go.”
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) August 27, 2025
—new #Eagles QB Sam Howell if he’s needed to back up Jalen Hurts in the opener if Tanner McKee isn’t ready. pic.twitter.com/NzNX0lSeF6
Eagles QB Sam Howell Already Prepared to Be QB2 Ahead of Week 1
On Wednesday, the new Eagles quarterback met with the media and said that he will be ready to go if he’s needed to be the backup behind Jalen Hurts, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Eagles’ current QB2, Tanner McKee, is dealing with a fractured thumb, and it's unclear if he’ll be available for Week 1, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
According to John McMullen of SI.com on Eagles reported on Wednesday that McKee was seen at practice with a splint on his right hand and not taking any reps with a football.
Tanner McKee with a splint on his right hand not taking reps with the football. Sam Howell No. 2 behind Jalen #Eagles pic.twitter.com/fNegfrHzNM
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) August 27, 2025
If you’re the Eagles, you hope that Hurts can stay healthy for starters. And at the same time, you’ve given yourself insurance with Howell.
The 24-year-old quarterback has had an interesting career up to this point. He only started in one game as a rookie and was then given the full-time job in his second season. It was a mixed bag of results from Howell, who completed 64.3% of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 TDs, and 21 interceptions.
The 21 interceptions aren’t great, but it was his first year as the full-time starter. Howell was also sacked 65 times, which makes life playing QB that much tougher.
That said, the former Commanders quarterback is saying all the right things. For him to become a starter again and a QB2 job, Howell needs to continue developing his game while making sure he’s prepared.
The QB3 isn’t active on gamedays, but that doesn’t mean the work stops. If anything, Howell will need to prove himself in practice while showing the coaching staff that they made the right decision to take a chance on him.