How Sam Howell’s doing as a Seahawks QB, why Howell likes Ryan Grubb’s new offense

Months into offseason meetings and early in the installation of their new offense, Seahawks players are starting to become experts on the Washington Huskies.

They’ve already become fans.

That’s because Seattle’s new offensive coordinator is Ryan Grubb. He was the coordinator and play caller of the Huskies’ bombs-away offense that ripped through college football the last two years. Grubb’s system of deep passes and power running fueled UW’s 21-game winning streak, a 2023 Pac-12 championship and Washington’s appearance in the national championship game five months ago.

These remade Seahawks with new head coach Mike Macdonald are watching so much Huskies game film to learn Grubb’s new offense, even an Oregon Duck is enjoying it.

Well, sort of.

“I’ve watched too much of Washington’s offense,” new Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown, a 30-year-old, seven-year NFL veteran from Oregon, said Thursday.

“I’ve watched a lot of freakin’ Washington. Every clip (to prepare for Seattle’s offense) was Washington, right? All we are installing, all the stuff is Washington.

“So I’m ready for us to get out there and make some plays so we (Seahawks) can get on some example tapes.

“I’m STILL watching Washington.”

So are the Seahawks quarterbacks.

Geno Smith and Sam Howell are watching game films of now-former Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the eighth pick in this year’s draft by Atlanta. Smith and Howell are quizzing each other daily over Grubb’s system they are studying on tape.

The process of taking their learning from film and meetings to the field continued Thursday, during the fifth of the Seahawks’ 10 organized team activities (OTAs) practices.

The quarterbacks plus lead running back Kenneth Walker listened as new offensive line coach Scott Huff, also from Grubb’s UW offense of the past two seasons, taught blocking schemes and line fits to the backs with the linemen Thursday.

It was the first time in memory the starting quarterbacks and lead rushers were in on that intricate of a linemen drill during a Seahawks practice.

Teaching — and learning — are everywhere with this remade team. Seattle has new systems on offense, defense and special teams. It’s the Seahawks’ largest overhaul since they hired coach Pete Carroll and his ways from USC before the 2010 season.

Seahawks OTA day 5

Thursday, the 33-year-old Smith threw five touchdown passes to diving, rolling Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 11-on-11 drills between the starting offense and defense. Those dart throws were to the back of the end zone deftly away from tight coverage of Devon Witherspoon (a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie last season), fellow cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Tre Brown plus 2023 Pro Bowl safety Julian Love. It was an equal opportunity beating of the Seahawks’ starting secondary, though Love intercepted Smith late in the practice.

The 23-year-old Howell, who went 4-13 as the Washington Commanders’ starter last season, again worked exclusively with the second offense. Macdonald has said that will be the case, Smith the starter and Howell the backup, through Seattle beginning the season Sept. 8 against Denver.

One of Howell’s better throws Thursday was onto the hands of wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. away from cornerback Michael Jackson in the end zone.

Following the practice, Howell described what he liked about Grubb’s system.

“It’s definitely a quarterback-friendly offense,” Howell said.

“Just how aggressive he is and how much he wants to throw the ball down the field, that’s kind of similar to what I’ve done in the past. And it’s definitely the offense I feel like I want to play in.”

What specifically makes Grubb’s offense unique?

“Coach Grubb, I just love how he can mix up tempo and really keep the defense on its heels,” Howell said. “That’s not something you see a whole lot of in the NFL.

“Obviously, he’s more of a college guy. I’m excited for him to get his opportunity in the NFL, because I think he’s got some really good stuff.”

Sam Howell loves Seattle

At the beginning off free agency this spring, Drew Lock, Seattle’s 2022 and ‘23 backup to Smith, left on a one-year, $5 million contract with the New York Giants.

Four days later, the Seahawks replaced Lock with Howell by trading a fourth- plus a sixth-round draft choice to Washington.

Howell had heard and sensed for months since the end of the Commanders’ 2023 season that he might get traded. In that time Washington changed head coaches from Ron Rivera to incoming Dan Quinn, a former Seahawks defensive coordinator.

“Once I got the idea that me being traded was a possibility, Seattle was one of those places that I wanted to come be a part of,” Howell said Thursday.

“I’m just super excited to be here. I think Coach Mike (Macdonald) is doing a great job of trying to build this thing.

“It’s definitely one of the places coming out of the draft that I wanted to come to. I just love being in this city. I love being a part of this team.

“I’m just excited to get to work.”

That work may not pay off for a bit.

Seahawks’ future at quarterback

The Seahawks have their quarterback of the present. It’s Smith. He will turn 34 this fall.

They have an experienced NFL starter as his backup, though Howell said Thursday “I’m coming to compete, every single day.”

What the Seahawks don’t have is a quarterback of the future. Smith’s and Howell’s contracts both end at the end of the 2025 season.

After he traded for Howell in March — and after he did not draft a quarterback for the 13th time in 15 years with the team this past month — The News Tribune asked Seahawks general manager John Schneider what his long-term plan is at quarterback, the sport’s most important position.

“Are you being serious right now? That’s a serious question: ‘What’s your long-term plan?’” Schneider said May 1.

“Well, we just traded to get Sam Howell. He’s got two years left on his (rookie) contract. He’s, what, two years younger than a lot of these guys (quarterbacks in this year’s draft class). Geno’s here. We have a really cool room right now.”

Seattle’s GM also said: “I can’t tell you what our long-term plan is, because I honestly don’t know.

“But Sam is a huge part of it, because we made a major trade to get Sam before we got here (to the 2024 draft).”

Howell threw a league-high 612 passes last season. That was mostly because the Commanders were so far behind in so many games. He threw for 21 touchdowns and an NFL-leading 21 interceptions while losing 13 of 17 starts.

If all goes according to Seahawks plan in 2024, his new team won’t know this time next year how Howell plays in Grubb’s system. For Howell to play in real games this year would take Smith getting hurt in this coming season or playing very poorly, much worse than in his first two Pro Bowl seasons replacing Wilson as Seattle’s starter.

These offseason practices then training camp that begins July 26 and Seattle’s three preseason games on Saturdays from Aug. 10-24 are Howell’s chances to impress.

How’s he doing so far?

“I think he’s representative of where we’re at as a football team,” Macdonald, 36, said Thursday. “I think Sam has improved every time we’ve come out here, and it’s really exciting.

“He threw the ball really well today. He made some good decisions in situational work that was exciting to see, with only going over it in one day. So, football intelligence is high. Obviously, his ability is what it needs to be. ...

“We are excited about Sam.”

The fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft out of North Carolina says he’s learned from his 2023 season as the Commanders’ starter.

“I think I can play some smarter ball,” Howell said. “At times, when we were down big in games, I was a little too aggressive. I was just trying to make something happen to get us back in the game. That’s why, you know...the turnovers were just way too high for what I wanted, what the team needed.

“That’s definitely something I can take from last year.”

Howell said what he’s noticed most about his new coach is how Macdonald emphasizes creating a new winning legacy in Seattle through actions, words and values inside team headquarters.

“It’s Mike, how big he is on the culture piece. He talks about that,” Howell said.

“I mean, we have team meetings all the time where he talks about culture for 30 minutes. I think that’s really important. I think that’s something that the guys will respond to really well.