"Only in Washington" In my best Don King voice, could fans become divided over two backup Quarterbacks, one of which has never been active for a game and the other, the head coach couldn't wait to replace this offseason.
Fans of Howell ( The "Howellers") will tell you he's a high upside QB prospect with a rocket arm and high functioning mobility. Fans of Heinicke will tell you Howell is a 5th rd pick who was passed over 140+ times in the draft with serious questions about his decision making and NFL future.
Heinicke supporters ( "The hive") will tell you TH was given a raw deal last year in terms of talent at the WR position and he was held back by indecisive game planning by the OC. The coaches tried to take Heincike's ability to scramble away from him and it caused him to regress. Howell supporters will tell you that TH is a Buick in a league of Ferraris and that he gets his WRs hurt with hospital balls, you've seen the Memes...
They will also quickly point out TH's arm limitations and penchant for for bone headed plays that repeatedly killed this team last year.
So who is right?
The answer is not a simple one.
Both quarterbacks serve a purpose to this team. Heinicke is a galvanizing presence in the absence of the starter and Howell represents hope for the future in a year of lackluster results.
Henicke's journey with the team will likely end after the final snap this season. He has served this team as well as he could but there is another fan darling in town and very few scenarios result with Heinicke being on the roster in 2023.
Howell's journey is just beginning but his future is predicated on Rivera remaining in charge. If Ron leaves then the odds are that a new HC and OC will want their own QBs and there is no job security for a 5th rd pick. If Rivera stays then the likely outcome is that Wentz returns and Howell is #2. The point is, there isn't a clear path for Howell to become the starter any time soon.
This feels like an argument about Carl's Jr. vs Hardee's, Corned beef vs Pastrami or Amazon vs Cadabra (look it up). Both of these QBs will ultimately have similar stories of overcoming long odds just to keep jobs in the league. I find those to be stories to root for rather than rooting against; Don't you think ?
Your Carl's Jr. vs Hardee's analogy is apropos. It's not a discussion of which 5 star Michelin restaurant is better, it's about two low-end fast food joints! Anyone outside of Washington would see this for the pathetic situation it is. What disturbs me is that there is a contingent within the Heineke camp that truly believes he's Brett Farve about to happen and those who things Howell is Justin Herbert about to happen despite all of the evidence to the contrary. That continues to make us uniquely sad, pitiful and pathetic as a fan base!