"Why would they trade him?" Chris Russell asked earlier this week when discussing the now third-year quarterback Sam Howell. "They shouldn't trade him. Or I wouldn't trade him.... and here's the reason why I said that – it's not because under any circumstances or under any illusions – did I have that Sam Howell was gonna be the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders this year unless there were some crazy circumstances ie. some rash of injuries or some terrible performances by Marcus Mariota and the rookie wherever they took the rookie."
Russell gets why Adam Peters and the Commanders did it, but has a concern bordering on an objection. His rationale: Jayden Daniels could be a car crash waiting to happen (which some people think) or Drake Maye could sprain an ankle and there is nothing to say any of those guys won't get injured. So Russell wanted Howell to be kept, not as a starter, but as a back-up in the building in case there were another injury crisis.
"Sam Howell was a good, young, cheap, athletic, strong-armed, hard-working, mature insurance policy," Russell said. "That's what he was."
Listen to the full conversation on the audio player above!