In the middle of the madness that was the Maxx Crosby news that his trade between the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders is no longer happening, the Philadelphia Eagles found themselves losing a key free agent to the Dallas Cowboys.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that the former Eagles backup quarterback, Sam Howell, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cowboys. Howell spent last season as the Eagles' third-string quarterback and did not play in a game.
Initially, the Eagles had traded for Howell with the Minnesota Vikings before the season began. That opened the door for the Vikings to sign former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz as the new backup for the 2025 season.
Cowboys to sign former Eagles quarterback Sam Howell
Howell is about to play for the third NFC East team of his career and his fifth overall team. He has also been on the rosters for the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, Vikings, and Eagles.
Philly is still in really good shape at quarterback with three-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts leading the way in his starting role. While backup Tanner McKee has been involved in trade rumors, he appears to still have a comfortable spot behind Hurts on the depth chart.
The Eagles are left trying to figure out what they need to do at the third-string quarterback position. Last year, they tried to fill that with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and 2025 sixth-round pick Kyle McCord, but neither guy made the final roster and was replaced by Howell.
If McKee is not traded, the most likely scenario is that the Eagles will use a draft pick on a quarterback to develop behind Hurts and McKee, eventually making them the backup. There have been talks in the offseason that the Eagles might use a high pick on a quarterback to potentially compete with Hurts for the starting job in the future, but it feels as though a Day 3 pick being used on a quarterback is more likely.
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While it isn't a huge loss to see Howell leave the team, it is annoying to see him join an NFC East rival. Let's hope that doesn't end up biting the Birds in the butt.