Ahead of the 2023 season, Sam Howell called it the “ultimate blessing” to be drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2022, admitting he “didn’t expect” to play much as a rookie but was grateful for the shot. “I feel like I learned a lot last year, and I was able to get an opportunity in the last game to go out there and show what I’m capable of doing,” he said at the time. For Howell, those early moments in Washington were about proving he could lead a franchise. Even if the road since then has been anything but steady.

After short stints with the Seahawks and Vikings, the 24-year-old now finds himself in Philadelphia with Nick Sirianni, chasing what feels like a long-overdue chance to stick. But while the trade itself grabbed headlines, Howell’s longtime girlfriend, Chloe Barbu, made the move official in her own way. Just hours after the news broke, the UNC alum dropped two Instagram stories that fired up Philly fans. First came a “See you soon 📍Philly,” followed by a declaration of allegiance: “& go birds.” It was the kind of personal touch that had Eagles Nation buzzing before Howell even threw a pass in midnight green.

Sam Howell burst onto the scene at North Carolina, rewriting school records with 10,283 career passing yards, 92 touchdowns, and a single season high of 38 TD passes (in 2019). But the one number that was the highlight: 23 INTs in 3 seasons. Drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round of 2022, he barely saw the field as a rookie but made noise in 2023 with 3,946 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. The downside? He also led the league in interceptions (21) and sacks (65), a reminder of both his raw potential and the punishment of playing behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. And that’s been his highlight, wherever he went. Yet, the ‘spark’ was always there.

Maybe that’s why The Athletic’s Jeff Howe graded the Eagles’ move for Howell as a solid “B,” pointing to Tanner McKee’s finger injury as the spark. With Kyle McCord still unproven and the defending NFC champs facing a brutal September slate, the Eagles wanted a steadier hand behind Jalen Hurts. The Vikings’ side of the deal is trickier to parse. Especially with J.J. McCarthy set to take over after a near-NFC top seed season in 2024. Carson Wentz has since been added, but the 32-year-old has just two starts in two years and hasn’t found success since his early breakout.

For Philly, Howell makes sense: Hurts has missed at least two games in three of the past four seasons, and no one ever faults a contender for stockpiling quarterbacks. But while Howell’s off-field moment drew plenty of attention, his arrival in Philadelphia was just one part of a much bigger day for the franchise.

Sam Howell set the tone for the Eagles’ roster moves!

In a single afternoon, Philadelphia executed three trades. A rare flurry of August activity that underscored the organization’s urgency to strengthen depth before the cut-down deadline. The biggest move, of course, was acquiring Sam Howell and a sixth-round pick from Minnesota. But that was just the beginning.

Beyond that, the Eagles swung a trade to bring back offensive lineman Fred Johnson from the Jacksonville Jaguars, a familiar face who gives Nick Sirianni more protection up front. And in a savvy bit of business, Philadelphia flipped offensive lineman Darian Kinnard to the Green Bay Packers for a future sixth-round pick. For the head coach, the logic is to stabilize key positions before the season begins.

After cutting Dorian Thompson-Robinson and watching McKee land on the sideline with an injury, the quarterback depth was stretched thin. Howell’s presence gives Sirianni another proven option in practice and preseason games without forcing rookie Kyle McCord into pressure situations too soon. On the line, Johnson’s versatility and knowledge of the scheme make him an easy fit, while the Kinnard trade was about efficiency, maximizing value from a player unlikely to see the field.

And this wasn’t just a one-off. A week earlier, the Eagles traded for wide receiver John Metchie III, further proving that the front office is committed to fine-tuning the roster well before September. So for Nick Sirianni, it all comes back to building a team that can weather any situation. The trades, the quarterback depth, even the tough preseason lessons, each fit into his bigger picture of keeping the Eagles competitive. Under his direction, Philadelphia’s roster moves are less about panic and more about long-term stability.