Back on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided to make a trade that resulted in his team acquiring fourth-year quarterback Sam Howell from the Seattle Seahawks.
In the moment, it was an intriguing move by the Vikings. But as time passed by, Minnesota's decision to add Howell ended up being pretty weird.
When it comes to running his offense, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell wants his quarterbacks to be smart and make quick decisions with the football. Howell was smart enough to make it to the NFL, but his erratic in-game decision-making is something that was never going to sit well with O'Connell.
Sam Howell was never a good fit for the Minnesota Vikings
Howell first entered the NFL in 2022 after the Washington Commanders drafted him with a fifth-round pick. He sat for the majority of his rookie season, but then in his second year, he wound up starting all 17 games for the Commanders.
Howell's 2023 season as Washington's starter didn't go well, as the team finished with a 4-13 record in part because of his 23 turnovers (21 interceptions and two fumbles lost) and the fact that he was sacked a league-worst 65 times.
Due to their poor 2023 season, the Commanders landed the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and it was clear they were going to use that selection on one of the top quarterback prospects. But before Washington even made their pick (which turned out to be Jayden Daniels), they shipped Howell off to the Seahawks in exchange for multiple draft selections.
Similar to his rookie year, Howell wasn't on the field much for Seattle in 2024, as he only attempted a total of 14 passes in two appearances.
Fast forward to the 2025 offseason, and after the Seahawks signed former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency and drafted former Alabama signal-caller Jalen Milroe with a third-round pick, Howell's tenure with the organization was clearly nearing the end.
It ended up not taking very long for that to happen as Minnesota and Seattle executed a trade involving the veteran passer in the middle of the third day of the 2025 NFL Draft.
After the deal was made, most just assumed Howell would enter the 2025 campaign as the Vikings' No. 2 quarterback behind J.J. McCarthy. But then he put together training camp and preseason performances (including one of the worst interceptions you will ever see) that were outshined by undrafted rookie signal-caller Max Brosmer.
Brosmer's success and Howell's up-and-down play on the field this summer eventually resulted in Minnesota trading the former Seahawks quarterback to the Philadelphia Eagles last month and quickly replacing his spot on their roster with veteran free-agent passer Carson Wentz.
Just like every other team in the NFL, the Vikings aren't going to bat 1.000 on every roster move they make. Thankfully, trading for Howell didn't come with much risk for Minnesota, and they've already made more moves to help correct their mistake.