"That's the end of Sam Howell in Washington, right?" Kevin Sheehan said when he was told the breaking news that the Commanders were signing veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to a one-year deal with a base value of $6 million and a max value of $10 million, according to ESPN.
"The problem I have with Mariota – I always liked Mariota [but] – he bailed on the Falcons. We saw that on the Netflix special on him. Very likable dude, don't get me wrong. Was the back-up in Philly this year for Jalen Hurts," Sheehan said of the new Commanders – likely – back-up quarterback to the soon-to-be Week 1 starter that Adam Peters picks at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Of course, Sheehan said there is the possibility that the Commanders do make a move back in the draft for another quarterback, but to him, this move of signing a veteran – who could be a comp to Jayden Daniels – could be able to easily slide into the role as the starter if the rookie needs some extra time before taking over early in the season or takes a few hits and has a forced absence due to injury.
Ben Standig joins Sheehan to discuss Mariota's signing – what it means for Washington's plans in the draft and Week 1 – and what the signing means for Howell's future with the Commanders.
After getting into all that, Standig and Sheehan give their full thoughts on all the Commanders' (unofficial) signings so far. Listen to all of that on the audio player above!