Former North Carolina Tar Heels Star Signs With Historic NFL Franchise

Former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell has certainly had an interesting journey in the NFL, and now, it has taken another twist.

With free agency in full swing, Howell has found a new home, agreeing to a one-year contract with one of football's most historic franchises: the Dallas Cowboys.

Howell will likely compete with Joe Milton to serve as Dak Prescott's primary backup, which, based on Prescott's rather checkered injury history, means that the North Carolina product could see some playing time during the 2026 campaign.

The 25-year-old spent three seasons with the Tar Heels between 2019 and 2021 and immediately established himself as one of the more impressive quarterbacks in the country during his freshman campaign, throwing for 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Then, in Year 2, Howell finished with 3,586 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 68.1 percent of his passes. His numbers dipped a bit during his final season with the program, as he totaled 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he still declared for the 2022 NFL Draft after an overall impressive career at UNC.

Howell was selected by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round and actually became the full-time starter for the Commanders during his sophomore campaign. While he racked up 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns, he also led the league with 21 interceptions, which spelled the end of his time in Washington.

The Commanders traded Howell to the Seattle Seahawks that ensuing offseason, and he has bounced around quite a bit ever since.

After spending one year in Seattle, barely seeing any action, Howell was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings last April. The Vikings then traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles a few months later.

Since starting all 17 gams in Washington back in 2023, Howell has thrown a grand total of 14 passes, with all of them coming in 2024.

Because he is still young and clearly has arm talent, perhaps Howell will get another opportunity to start at some point, but at this stage, it seems as though he is merely viewed as a decent backup.

We'll see if Howell ultimately wins the Cowboys' No. 2 quarterback job in camp.

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