We know JP Finlay and Brian Mitchell both believe benching Sam Howell is the right move for the Commanders right now – but is it the best move for Sam Howell long-term, even if he's not 'the guy' to build around in DC?
Shortly before the official announcement came down, one that was expected, JP Finlay asked producer Andrew Mullins how he felt about the idea, and Landini had the "best for the team" approach.
"I think it makes sense purely from a 'who's the better quarterback that'll give you the better chance to win' point of view, and that's obviously kind of what the head coach cares about," Landfill said. "I know that's not necessarily what all of the fans care about – there's a lot of us that would like to see them lose these games to improve the draft position – but it's just not realistic to expect the coach to care about something like that, particularly when Ron understands he's not gonna be here next year. They're going out there trying to win, and Jacoby Brissett proved the last two games he's the better option to help you move the ball down the field."
"But think about this: if you care about Sam, like a lot of people act like they do, do you want the QB going through the mindset like, 'well, coach started me because I give him the best chance to lose the game?'" BMitch replied.
"If a guy is mentally weak, then that would screw him up, wouldn't it? I'm playing because they think I'll give them the best chance to lose? They never say that, but that's the mindset a lot of these fans have; they act like they care, but they must not really care, because that's the last thing you want on a player's mind."
JP's take?
"Ron has made a lot of bad decisions as the Commanders' boss, and he's probably getting canned in a week and a half…but I don't think Ron's making a bad decision here," JP said. "I think Ron is doing the best for the team, and frankly, I think he's doing the best for Sam Howell."
And then, Landfill had an interesting take on the move.
"We kind of all expect them to take a quarterback in the first round next year, and it's pretty common when a team drafts a rookie that they have kind of the veteran backup. That's the perfect role for Jacoby Brissett," Landfill said. "You could start that guy and be competitive in the NFL, and he's a good mentor to a young guy. I think if you're worried about the future, Brissett is arguably more important to the future of the team than Sam Howell is at this point."
"Hypothetically, if they just say we're not gonna rush it because we have a veteran backup that's very capable, and we're gonna play him until the next guy is absolutely ready and we're not gonna throw him to the wolves – a lot of people might get upset," BMitch replied. "But, you know what? What did Green Bay do when they drafted Aaron Rodgers? He sat for a minute behind a legitimate quarterback. In this case, you can start the new QB in the first game if he's ready or let him sit a little bit, it won't make a difference."
JP is even on board, given this though:
"Jacoby signed a one-year deal, and I imagine somewhere he might be a little pissed that he didn't get traded to Cleveland when they called because he could be the starting quarterback for a playoff bound team, but I don't know that Jacoby is ever going to get the big contract or the opportunity to be the starter long-term to prove he should get paid," Finlay said. "So maybe you can bring him back on another mercenary one-year deal; the money's probably got to get to $10 million, and maybe you move Howell because he's on a rookie contract with two more years control and you want to take somebody in the Top 5 and not have the specter of Howell being there, so Brissett is pretty important."
And then, yes, JP confirms he thinks this move is best for Howell.
"I think people that view this as Ron making a mistake because it's unfair to Sam…I think this is very fair to Sam," he said. "I think he needs a rest, man. I think he's physically beat to hell."
