Sam Howell benched, Jacoby Brissett takes helm for Commanders
WASHINGTON - Change is in the air for the Washington Commanders as head coach Ron Rivera signaled the Sam Howell era may be coming to a close.
On Wednesday, Ron Rivera announced Sam Howell would be sidelined for the Commanders' New Year's Eve match up with the San Francisco 49ers.
Howell was benched in each of Washington's last two games, match-ups in which he went a combined 17 for 48 with one touchdown and three interceptions in losses at the hands of the L.A. Rams and New York Jets.
Sam Howell benched, Jacoby Brissett named Commanders starting QB
When the Commanders take on the 49ers this weekend, they’ll have a new starting quarterback under center. Head coach Ron Rivera announced he’s benching Sam Howell in favor of backup Jacoby Brissett. FOX 5’s Josh Rosenthal is at FedEx Field with more.
The Commanders have lost six in a row and eight of their last nine. Rivera made clear though, the benching is less about the win/loss column and more about protecting the mental health of his young QB.
"I think this is probably a good opportunity for Sam to take a break," Rivera said Wednesday before practice. "This is about Sam’s continued development, and things hadn’t gone as well as we would have liked for him the last few weeks, so we just think this is a good opportunity for him to watch."
ASHBURN, VA - JULY 28: Jacoby Brissett #12 and Sam Howell #14 of the Washington Commanders participate in a drill during training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center on July 28, 2022 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
In relation to the benching, Rivera left no doubt that the decision was his and his alone and that ownership was supportive. Jacoby Brissett will start on Sunday. The journeyman quarterback has played well filling in versus the Rams and Jets, going 18 for 23 with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
Howell started the first 15 games of the season, and he leads the league with 17 interceptions. The 2022 fifth-round pick out of North Carolina has been sacked a league-high 60 times and has thrown 557 passes, second only to Patrick Mahomes.
Washington Commanders continue free-fall with 28-20 loss to Los Angeles Rams
On the second play of the second half, Cooper Kupp found himself running completely alone down the Commanders’ sideline behind their NFL-worst pass defense.
Brissett, a 31-year-old journeyman who signed a $10 million contract for this season to back up and mentor Howell, was 18 of 23 for 224 yards and three touchdowns in relief over the past two games.
"Jacoby’s proven that he’s a very, very viable player in this league," Rivera said. "It’s amazing to watch the professionalism with which Jacoby does things."
This is set to be Brissett’s 49th NFL start and first since Nov. 27, 2022, with Cleveland.
Fire alarm signals latest loss for Ron Rivera’s Commanders as their season collapses
As metaphors go, this one was obvious as can be: A fire alarm wailed and warning lights flashed in the Washington Commanders’ locker room as defensive tackle Jonathan Allen spoke to reporters about the latest in a series of bad performances by a team that is 4-9 and getting routed on a regular basis.
Brissett is on the verge of joining Howell, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kyle Allen, Garrett Gilbert, Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, Josh Johnson and Mark Sanchez as QBs to start for Washington since the start of the 2018 season — the year after Kirk Cousins left for Minnesota. He’s the ninth since Rivera took over.
"It’s going to be a challenge, for sure, but I’m up for the challenge," Brissett said. "I wouldn’t be in this situation if I didn’t think I could handle it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.