Commanders Benching Sam Howell, Starting Jacoby Brissett In Week 17

Commanders HC Ron Rivera announced they will start veteran QB Jacoby Brissett in Week 17 against the 49ers, per John Keim.

That means Washington is benching QB Sam Howell, who’s been the starter all season. 

Rivera has made the change to Brissett in each of the last two games with Howell struggling and the offense has responded in a big way.

The Commanders have charged back from big deficits in the second half each of the last two weeks, although they still lost both games in the end.

Rivera told reporters he felt like Howell, who has operated as the starter since the end of last season, would benefit from taking a step back. 

Brissett, 30, is a former third-round pick of the Patriots back in 2016. The Patriots traded Brisset to the Colts coming out of the preseason in 2017 in return for WR Phillip Dorsett.

Brissett was in the final year of his four-year, $3.411 million contract when he agreed to a two-year deal worth $30 million that included $20 million guaranteed at signing with the Colts back in 2019. 

After a year with the Dolphins, the Browns signed Brissett to a contract last year. The Commanders signed him as a free agent this offseason. 

In 2023, Brissett has appeared in three games for the Commanders and completed 18 of 23 pass attempts (78.3 percent) for 224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Howell, 23, was considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the country entering his junior season but fell to the fifth round after a rocky year and was drafted by the Commanders in 2022. 

He is in the second year of a four-year $4,021,599 contract that includes a $361,599 signing bonus. 

In 2023, Howell has appeared in 15 games for the Commanders and completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,624 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He added 43 carries for 265 yards and five touchdowns. 

We’ll have more on Washington’s quarterback situation as the news is available.