The Seattle Seahawks are trading quarterback Sam Howell to the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday.
Howell now becomes the likely backup to quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings also have quarterback Brett Rypien under contract.
The trade comes after the Seahawks drafted quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round on Friday night.
Seattle acquired Howell in a trade last March with the Washington Commanders, giving up third- and fifth-round selections in exchange for Howell and picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. The Seahawks beat out three other teams who were also negotiating with Washington, a source told ESPN at the time.
Howell, 24, struggled badly in a relief appearance of then Seahawks starter Geno Smith in December. After Smith hurt his knee midway through the third quarter of a 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Howell completed only 5 of 14 attempts for 24 yards and an interception.
Howell, a fifth-round pick by Washington in 2022, started all 17 games for the Commanders in 2023, throwing for 21 touchdowns and a league-high 21 interceptions. He also led the NFL with 612 attempts, completing 63.4% of them while throwing for 3,946 yards. The Commanders went 4-13, traded Howell to Seattle and drafted Jayden Daniels second overall.
ESPN's Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
