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Sam Howell had an impressive preseason debut for the Minnesota Vikings in their 20-10 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday evening.
Howell has been on an adventure throughout his young NFL career. The Washington Commanders selected him with the 144th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, as he represented them for two seasons. They then traded him to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for draft compensation, only playing in two games off the bench in the 2024 campaign.
Howell played the entire second quarter of the matchup to make his Vikings debut, as Minnesota played four quarterbacks throughout the day. In the 15 minutes he got to be out on the field, he completed 11 of his 13 passes for 105 yards. He also made four rushes on the ground, finishing with two yards and a touchdown.
Sam Howell caps the 14-play, 94-yard drive with a sneak for six!
: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/LZVMzj58tE
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025
Sam Howell got his throws rolling as he was mostly accurate in the Vikings’ win over the Texans.
Howell was only a full-time starter for one season when he presented the Commanders. He went 4-13 in those 17 starts, completing 388 passes for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He serves as a solid backup for a Minnesota squad that will turn to JJ McCarthy as their full-time starter. Even though he will make his official debut in Week 1 as he missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, the Vikings have plenty of confidence in McCarthy’s ceiling. If things don’t go well, they can turn to Howell if they need to adjust midseason.
Minnesota placed more focus on passing the ball than running it. The run game only created 30 carries for 86 yards and Howell’s touchdown. As for the receiving corps, they made 21 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown, which came from Myles Price.
The Vikings will progress through the remainder of their preseason slate. They face the New England Patriots on Aug. 16 at 12 p.m. ET and Tennessee Titans on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. ET.
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