Commentary: Seahawks, Falcons take far different paths in pursuit of franchise QB
SEATTLE – The most surefire way to win in the NFL?
Find a franchise quarterback.
The most surefire way to find a franchise quarterback?
That’s the more compelling question.
The Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, for example, have presented opposite answers. Under fourth-year general manager Terry Fontenot and new coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons paid for proven production – signing 35-year-old Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason (with $100 million guaranteed).
The Falcons appeared settled under center.
Cue the chaos.
With the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, Atlanta authored an unexpected earthquake, plucking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from the University of Washington. On the surface, the move didn’t make much sense. Cousins – who, according to his agent, was informed of the pick while the Falcons were on the clock – has his first two season salaries (2024-25) fully guaranteed. He’s also joining a 7-10 team that last made the playoffs in 2017 and has numerous needs.
Moreover, Penix is the polar opposite of a project quarterback. Barring injury, it’s likely the Heisman Trophy runner-up – who spent four seasons at Indiana and two more on Montlake – won’t earn a starting opportunity until 2026, when he’s 26 years old. Which means Atlanta would squander two seasons of the signal caller’s rookie deal, when it’s most financially feasible to amass impact talent.
So, to recap: Atlanta gave $100 million guaranteed to a 35-year-old quarterback rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon, then blindsided him by drafting a 23-year-old lefty with an injury history of his own.
It was risky, sloppy and unpopular.
It also might still work.
“These are tough decisions,” Fontenot said last week, defending the pick. “But that’s who we’re thinking about. We’re thinking about the fans. We’re thinking about this organization. We’re going to build a sustained winner, and we’re going to win for a long time. That’s the most important position in football.”
A fact that isn’t reflected in the Seahawks’ recent draft history.
Since he joined the franchise in 2010, Seahawks president of football operations John Schneider has drafted only a pair of passers – Russell Wilson (third round, 2012) and Alex McGough (seventh round, 2018). Though Wilson’s success somewhat negated the need for competing signal-callers, Schneider noted at the NFL scouting combine that “14 drafts and only drafting two quarterbacks is not something that we’re necessarily proud of. It’s just happened that way.”
Or, more accurately, it hasn’t happened. That’s despite the Seahawks having rumored interest in Patrick Mahomes in 2017 and Josh Allen in 2018, though both players proved to be top-10 picks. Seattle Times beat writer Bob Condotta also reported recently, according to sources, that Seattle called about trading up and “did try to gauge the market for Penix and some of the other QBs at the top of the draft to see what might be realistic.” But no specific offer was made, and six signal callers went in the first 12 picks.
At the combine, Schneider added: “Every year it’s a goal to acquire a quarterback, whether that’s draft, free agency – whatever it looks like.”
It looks like Sam Howell.
Howell, it seems, is being treated as the Seahawks’ de facto draftee. The 23-year-old was acquired from the Washington Commanders in March for a pair of picks. In his first season as a starter, the former fifth-round draft pick led the NFL in pass attempts (612), interceptions (21) and sacks (65) in 2023. He also showcased his skill set in a 29-26 loss at Seattle in November, throwing for 312 yards with three scores and zero interceptions in an intriguing output.
Howell is younger than five of last week’s 11 drafted QBs – Penix, Denver’s Bo Nix, the New York Jets’ Jordan Travis, New England’s Joe Milton III and Baltimore’s Devin Leary. He also arrives with a full season of NFL starting experience and two more years on his rookie deal.
As a backup to the 33-year-old Geno Smith, there’s a lot to like.
But is Howell the Seahawks’ future franchise QB?
Consider me unconvinced.
“He’s got two years left on his contract. He’s two years younger than a lot of these guys (that got drafted). Geno’s here. We’ve got a really cool room right now,” Schneider said recently, when asked to describe Seattle’s long-term plan at quarterback.
“We’re trying to add a couple guys right now, and we’ll continue to work it. So, we’ll see where it goes. We’re always looking at that position. I can’t tell you what our long-term plan is, because I honestly don’t know. But Sam is a huge part of it, because we made a major trade to get Sam before we got (to the draft).”
In deciding not to draft a quarterback, the Seahawks are essentially betting that Smith or Howell can help them win a Super Bowl. Remember, the 2025 draft is not expected to possess premier passers – with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Georgia’s Carson Beck and Miami’s Cameron Ward among the outliers. And in the decade since Wilson led Seattle to its only Super Bowl win, the following quarterbacks have claimed championships: Tom Brady (x4), Peyton Manning, Nick Foles, Patrick Mahomes (x3) and Matthew Stafford.
Outside of the Foles outlier, it’s required transcendent quarterback talent to win a Super Bowl.
Atlanta signed one player, then drafted another, at football’s most important position. The Seahawks, meanwhile, placed their faith in Smith and Howell, as long-term questions loom.