The Seattle Seahawks added a familiar face to their quarterback lineup on Friday, bringing back Him. Originally acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, Lock returns to Seattle after spending last season with the New York Giants.
While Sam Darnold currently holds the QB1 spot, Sam Howell’s position on the roster is far less secure. The terms of Lock’s new deal don’t paint a promising picture for Howell.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Lock signed a two-year, $5 million contract — a longer and more expensive commitment than Howell’s. For context, Lock earned the same amount for a single season in New York, and multi-year free agent deals typically indicate a strong chance of making the final roster.
Lock’s contract surpasses Howell’s non-guaranteed $1.1 million salary and extends an additional year beyond Howell’s deal. Considering Seattle’s tendency not to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season, it’s reasonable to think Howell could be the odd man out.
Seattle can release or trade Howell without any dead cap, freeing up $1.1 million in space. While there’s no urgent need to cut ties, it’s hard to justify keeping him around into September. Howell served as Seattle’s backup in 2024 but didn’t start any games and struggled in relief duty against the Packers when Geno Smith was injured.
Howell’s NFL journey has seen him move from QB3 in Washington to a starter in his second year, then down to QB2 in Seattle, and now possibly back to QB3 entering his fourth season. If the Seahawks select a quarterback early in the draft, Howell’s time in Seattle is almost certainly over.
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