Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Howell (8) throws a pass against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Jeffrey Becker
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero's report Sunday morning, the Philadelphia Eagles have acquired quarterback Sam Howell from the Minnesota Vikings via trade.
The full trade involves the Eagles sending a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Howell, now entering his fourth NFL season, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. He was the Commanders' starting quarterback for the entire 2023 season and completed 63.4% of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and an NFL-high 21 interceptions. He also took a league-high 65 sacks.
Although he started every game that year, Howell was benched numerous times for performance reasons toward the end of the season. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in March 2024 and served as the backup to Geno Smith, appearing in just two games.
The Seahawks traded Howell to the Vikings during day three of the 2025 NFL Draft in April. Howell had an uninspiring training camp behind Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy, and although he performed well in the first preseason game, he decidedly did not perform well in the second game.
It became clear that Howell's days in Minnesota were numbered when the Vikings worked out veteran quarterback (and familiar face to Eagles fans) Carson Wentz on Saturday. Right after the Howell trade was announced, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings had reached agreement with Wentz.
With the Eagles' current quarterback room, this move makes sense. Current backup quarterback Tanner McKee has been dealing with a finger injury for the past few weeks and didn't appear in either of the last two preseason games.
The Eagles' acquisition of Howell suggests that McKee could miss some time during the regular season. 2025 sixth-round draft pick and presumed third-string quarterback Kyle McCord had a decidedly inconsistent preseason.
If McKee will not be available for week one, the Eagles, who historically highly value the QB2 position (with good reason), likely wanted a more reliable backup behind Jalen Hurts until McKee is healthy. Howell, who comes with NFL experience, provides that reliability.
