After a nomadic start to his NFL career that included stops in Washington, Seattle, and Philadelphia, Sam Howell has officially joined the Dallas Cowboys.
The move marks a sentimental homecoming for a player whose first professional pass and first career victory both came at the expense of the team he once cheered for from the stands of North Carolina.
The irony of Howell‘s path to Dallas is rooted in the 2022 season finale. Selected 144th overall by the Washington Commanders, Howell remained on the bench for nearly his entire rookie campaign before being tapped for a start against the Cowboys.
In a 26-6 upset, he showcased the arm talent that would eventually make him a temporary starter in the league, completing 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.
That performance, which featured a signature 52-yard strike to Terry McLaurin, effectively served as his audition for the starting role he would hold the following year.
However, despite leading the NFL in passing yardage by mid-November of 2023, Howell‘s tenure in Washington was marred by a 4-13 record and a league-high sack rate, leading to his eventual departure from the division.
Howell reflects on the legacy of Tony Romo
The decision to sign with Dallas in 2026 is driven by more than just nostalgia; it is an attempt to help the franchise overcome a historical plateau that Howell witnessed firsthand as a fan.
Throughout the era of Tony Romo, the Cowboys maintained high-level statistical production but consistently fell short of the NFC Championship.
Howell, who was born on September 16, 2000, belongs to a generation of fans who have seen regular-season excellence frequently neutralized by early playoff exits. By joining a room led by Dak Prescott, Howell hopes to contribute to a shift in that narrative, providing a reliable backup option for a team desperate to return to the Super Bowl.
“My dad grew up a big Cowboys fan. He said when you were growing up you were either kind of a Cowboys fan or Steelers fan, so I was a Cowboys fan,” Howell said, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Unfortunately not too many good memories when I was growing up. But I was a big fan of the Cowboys. I loved Tony Romo. I love watching Romo play. Even when I was in college, watching Dak play. Big fan of Dak and big fan of all the players I watched growing up. Definitely some good memories. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to win it all, but hopefully we can change that.”
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