What Does Drew Lock Signing Mean For Seahawks’ QB Group?
Even following the addition of Sam Darnold as their new starter to replace Geno Smith in free agency on a multi-year contract, the Seattle Seahawks have remained an intriguing team to watch heading towards the 2025 NFL Draft on the quarterback front.
After deciding to re-sign veteran Drew Lock, who spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as Smith’s backup in Seattle, to a two-year deal worth up to $5 million on Friday to resume that role behind Darnold, however, some may wonder whether general manager John Schneider just quietly confirmed that the franchise will go yet another draft cycle without selecting a signal caller. Since he took the reigns in 2010, the team has only drafted two quarterbacks - Russell Wilson in 2012 and Alex McGough in 2018 - opting to trade for Lock and most recently Sam Howell in recent years rather than draft one to develop.
But does Lock’s return really rule out the possibility of the Seahawks using one of their 10 picks on a quarterback later this month? While that could wind up being the case, the signing ultimately may have a greater impact on the other players currently on the depth chart, including Howell.
Just a little over a year ago, Schneider swapped mid-round picks with the Commanders, sending a third and fifth-round pick in exchange for a fourth and sixth-round pick along with Howell, bringing the former North Carolina standout on board as Smith’s new backup after he started 16 games during the 2023 season. At the time, many speculated the franchise made the trade to land a potential heir apparent to groom as a successor for Smith, who had two years left on his contract at the time of the deal with his 34th birthday approaching in the upcoming season.
Unfortunately, from his first OTA practices through training camp and an abysmal showing in relief of Smith in a home loss to the Packers, Howell did nothing to suggest that he would be a viable contender to push Smith for snaps or eventually replace him. On the practice field, he struggled with accuracy, often overthrowing receivers during camp and uncorking several ugly interceptions, tell tale signs of what was to come once the Seahawks needed him to step up in prime time at Lumen Field in December.
With Smith sidelined by a knee injury in the second half and Seattle already trailing by multiple scores, Howell played like a deer staring into headlights, looking like anything but the experienced starter that he was supposed to be. He completed just five out of 14 passes - an ugly 35.7 percent completion rate - while telegraphing a horrible interception that was thrown right into the hands of Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He did lead one scoring drive, but running back Zach Charbonnet did the bulk of the damage with a 24-yard touchdown run.
Coming out of a disappointing first season with the organization and entering the final year of his rookie deal, Schneider expressed optimism while speaking with reporters at the NFL combine in February that Howell would be able to bounce back playing in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme, referencing the preference for moving the quarterback out of the pocket more often as a benefit for the athletic quarterback that played better to his strengths.
“I want to see Sam with these guys, with Klint [Kubiak], all the boots and the movement stuff,” Schneider said. “We didn’t really see that last year. We were more in the pocket and he came in late [after the trade]. It wasn’t a good setup for him.”
Bringing Lock back into the fold doesn’t mean Seattle still can’t take another look at Howell to see how he performs in Kubiak’s system, especially at his affordable price point. As a former fifth-round pick, he’s due a cap hit of just $1.1 million, so keeping him around to compete throughout OTAs and training camp wouldn’t be a financial deterrent for the team. If he stepped up his game and played at the level he did two years ago in Washington, it’s not out of the question he could give Lock a run for his money in an open competition.
But based on the multi-year contract the Seahawks handed Lock, who played well in two starts replacing Smith in 2023 and has long been revered by Schneider dating back to his time starring at Missouri in the college ranks, the organization clearly has more confidence in him being thrust into action than they would if they had to turn to Howell again in the event of an injury to Darnold. Age isn’t a huge factor either in this instance, as Lock still is just 28 years old and Howell will turn 25 in September.
What makes the situation most fascinating is that Lock coming back and Howell still being on the roster as well shouldn’t be an end all, be all when it comes to possibly drafting a quarterback. Depending on how the board falls, if the right prospect stays available that the organization has a high grade on, particularly on day three after addressing more pressing needs with their five selections in the first three rounds, Schneider has nothing to lose taking a shot on a developmental signal caller for Kubiak and the new-look staff to work with.
With that said, if the Seahawks do select a quarterback later this month, regardless of round, it’s hard to envision them sticking with five quarterbacks on the roster very long, as it can be tricky to get reps on the practice field for three of them in OTAs and training camp. Under such circumstances, Howell could be shopped with hopes of receiving a conditional late round pick in return, if those discussions haven’t already started in the aftermath of Lock’s addition, while former Vikings draft pick Jaren Hall may also be potentially on the chopping block with Darnold, Lock, and a rookie ahead of him.
Even in the event Seattle extends its streak of drafts without selecting a quarterback to seven, the organization has rarely kept more than two of them on the 53-man roster at a time, prioritizing other positions for depth purposes. Regardless of what Schneider and the front office does during the draft, there’s no question Howell has been put on notice with Lock back in the mix, and his tenure in the Pacific Northwest may very well be on thin ice before he even gets a shot to hit the practice field next month.
