The Seahawks made a small move in the offseason by letting Drew Lock leave in free agency and adding a new backup quarterback instead. While Geno Smith is the undisputed starter at the position, Seattle opted for a cheaper option and hired Sam Howell from the Commanders to fill out the depth chart.

The Commanders didn’t have much of a need for Howell when they decided to draft Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. So they put the third-year player on the market and found a trade partner in Seattle.

We break down why Seattle made the move and what would happen if Geno Smith missed time.

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Seahawks quarterback depth chart

#1 Geno Smith

Smith is in his third season as Seattle’s starting quarterback and is off to a strong start. Through five games, Smith leads the NFL with 143 completions, 199 attempts and 1,466 passing yards. He also has five passing touchdowns and four interceptions as well as 146 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

Smith has now made 37 starts as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback since 2022, including 55 passing touchdowns and 9,372 passing yards. As a team, the Seahawks are 3-2 this year and 20-17 over the last three seasons when Smith starts.

#2 Sam Howell

The Commanders drafted Howell in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Carolina. After spending most of his rookie season on the bench, Howell started the final game of the 2022 season and then started every game for Washington in 2023.

The quarterback led the Commanders to a record of just 4-13, with 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and a league-best 21 interceptions. He also recorded 65 sacks this year, which not only led the league in 2023, but also the fourth-most sacks recorded by a quarterback in a season since 1960.

But despite Howell’s struggles, Seahawks general manager John Schneider compared him to a Hall of Famer.

“I was around Brett Favre from a young age — the guy threw interceptions like crazy and ended up winning three MVPs,” Schneider said of Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “I love the way he plays the game. Sam. And Brett.”

Seattle acquired Howell as part of a deal with Washington that also saw both teams swap draft picks. The move gave Seattle a backup player with starting experience who is still making just $985,000 this year, giving them flexibility if they want to make Howell a starter in the future or trade for a higher-priced veteran.

Drew Lock served as Smith’s backup for the past two years, but Lock became a free agent and ultimately signed with the Giants. This freed up a spot on the depth chart, giving the Seahawks room to trade for Howell.

No. 3 Jaren Hall

Smith and Hall are the only two quarterbacks on the Seahawks’ roster, but Seattle has Hall on the practice squad in case something happens. Hall played for the Vikings last season, appearing in three games and throwing for 168 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.