Sam Howell Bio
Samuel Duke Howell is an American professional football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Born and raised in North Carolina, Howell starred as a record-setting passer at the University of North Carolina before beginning his NFL career in 2022. Across his first three professional seasons, he has suited up for four different franchises, building a reputation as a young quarterback with a strong arm and significant starting experience.
Howell burst onto the national scene as a freshman at North Carolina and carried that momentum into the NFL, where he has started games for the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings before landing in Philadelphia.
Early Life and Background
Samuel Duke Howell was born on September 16, 2000, in Waynesville, North Carolina, and grew up in Union County. He attended Sun Valley High School in Monroe, North Carolina, where he starred as a dual-threat quarterback. Over the course of his high school career, Howell threw for 13,415 yards and 145 touchdowns while adding 3,621 rushing yards and 60 rushing scores, establishing himself as one of the most decorated high school players in the region.
Rated as the second-ranked recruit in the state of North Carolina, Howell originally committed to Florida State University. He later flipped his pledge to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after FSU offensive coordinator Walt Bell left the program and veteran coach Mack Brown was hired as the Tar Heels’ head coach. That decision set the stage for one of the most productive college careers in UNC history.
Path to American Football
Howell enrolled at the University of North Carolina in January 2019 and quickly became the first true freshman to win the starting quarterback job for the Tar Heels. In his college debut, he passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–20 victory over South Carolina, signaling the start of a record-breaking career.
His freshman numbers earned him ACC Rookie of the Year honors and third-team All-ACC recognition, while his sophomore and junior seasons featured multiple school records and national award buzz. By the time he declared for the 2022 NFL draft, Howell had cemented his place among the most productive passers in UNC history, finishing his college career with 92 touchdown passes and 10,283 passing yards, both school records.
Sam Howell Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Howell opened his college career with a bang, completing 259 of 422 passes for 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns as a freshman, a touchdown total that set an FBS freshman record. He added third-team All-ACC honors and was named the 2019 Military Bowl MVP after a 55–13 win over Temple in which he threw three touchdowns and caught another.
As a sophomore in 2020, Howell appeared on watchlists for the Maxwell, Manning, and O’Brien awards, posted a 550-yard, six-touchdown performance against Wake Forest that set school records, and led North Carolina to an 8–4 finish and a final AP ranking of 18. His junior season included back-to-back games of more than 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, joining Lamar Jackson as only the second Power 5 quarterback to accomplish that feat since 2004.
University of North Carolina Breakthrough (2019–2021)
Howell’s true breakout came during his freshman season, when he stepped in immediately as a starter and produced the highest passing yardage and touchdown totals in the Atlantic Coast Conference. His poise and production drew national attention and made him a fixture on preseason award watchlists the following year.
By the end of his junior campaign, he had thrown for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 828 yards and 11 scores, then chose to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL draft. He graduated from UNC in December 2021, leaving as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, and as the only Tar Heel quarterback to throw at least one touchdown pass in every game he played in college.
Washington Commanders Era (2022–2023)
Despite projections of being an early-round selection, Howell was taken in the fifth round, 144th overall, by the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 6, 2022, and made his first career start in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys, completing 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with a passing and rushing touchdown in a 26–6 win.
In 2023, Howell won the starting job out of training camp over Jacoby Brissett and opened the season as the starter. By mid-November, he had passed for more than 2,700 yards and was on pace to break the single-season sack record. He finished the year starting all 17 games, throwing for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns, but his 612 attempts, 21 interceptions, and 65 sacks all led the league.
Seattle Seahawks Era (2024)
On March 14, 2024, Howell was traded to the Seattle Seahawks along with a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, in exchange for a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder. He spent the season as the backup to starter Geno Smith, appearing in only two games.
Howell’s most extensive action came in a Week 15 loss to the Green Bay Packers, when he replaced an injured Smith and completed 5 of 14 passes for 24 yards with one interception. The limited role gave him a chance to learn behind Smith while adjusting to a new offensive system.
Philadelphia Eagles Era (2025–Present)
Howell spent the early months of 2025 with the Minnesota Vikings after being acquired in a draft-day trade on April 26, 2025, in which the Vikings sent a fifth-round pick to Seattle for Howell and another fifth-round selection. On August 24, 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick, adding him to their quarterback room.
The move to Philadelphia placed Howell in a familiar position as a young, experienced passer looking to develop behind a veteran starter. His arrival gave the Eagles additional depth at the position and gave Howell a fresh opportunity to compete for playing time late in the 2025 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Howell’s most notable professional milestone came during his rookie season, when he started the regular-season finale and posted both a passing and rushing touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. In 2023, he set career highs with 3,946 passing yards and 21 touchdowns while starting all 17 games for Washington. Earlier in his career, he set the ACC freshman touchdown record with 38 scoring passes and threw for 550 yards and six touchdowns against Wake Forest, a single-game school record.
Sam Howell Career Wins
Across his NFL career through the 2025 season, Samuel Duke Howell has compiled 4,139 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 23 interceptions on 404 completions out of 645 attempts, good for a 62.6 percent completion rate and a 77.5 passer rating. His first professional victory came in Week 18 of the 2022 season against Dallas.
Washington Commanders Highlights
Howell’s signature Washington moment was his debut start in the 2022 season finale, when he guided the Commanders to a 26–6 win over the Cowboys. The following year, he became a full-time starter and delivered several strong early-season performances, including a Week 3 game against Buffalo in which he threw four interceptions and was sacked nine times in a 37–3 loss, a snapshot of both his workload and the offensive line’s struggles.
By mid-November 2023, Howell had passed for more than 2,700 yards and was leading the league in passing yards, attempts, interceptions, and sacks. He was later benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett during a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, then briefly regained the starting job when Brissett suffered a hamstring injury in practice.
Other Performances
In 2024 with Seattle, Howell served primarily as the backup to Geno Smith and saw limited action, highlighted by a relief appearance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. His 2025 campaign began with Minnesota before he was traded to Philadelphia in late August, where he joined the Eagles’ quarterback room heading into the regular season.
Sam Howell Family
Family Background and Lineage
Howell is part Korean through his mother’s side of the family. His American grandfather met his Korean grandmother while stationed in Korea in 1960 in the years following the Korean War, and the two went on to build a family in the United States.
Personal Life
Howell has never eaten beef or seafood, citing chicken as the only meat in his diet. He has remained close friends with former North Carolina teammate Drake Maye, who succeeded him as the starting quarterback at UNC. Howell continues to live and train in the United States during the NFL offseason.
2025 Season Performance
Sam Howell’s 2025 season began with the Minnesota Vikings, who acquired him in a draft-day trade from the Seattle Seahawks on April 26, 2025. The move gave Minnesota a developmental option behind their established starter while Howell adjusted to a new offensive scheme. He spent the offseason and early training camp with the Vikings before being dealt again in late August.
On August 24, 2025, Philadelphia sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick. The trade reunited Howell with an NFC contender and placed him in a quarterback room built around veteran leadership, offering him a clear path to compete for a backup role with the potential for spot duty.
Looking ahead, Howell will look to build on his 4,139 career passing yards and refine his decision-making after leading the league in sacks and interceptions in 2023. With Philadelphia’s infrastructure and a fresh start, the 2025 campaign represents an opportunity to steady his development and re-establish himself as a reliable NFL quarterback.
