NFL Draft 2024 Rumors: Commanders Very Interested in Caleb Williams to Replace Howell

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera announced the team's decision to bench Sam Howell for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, and it sounds like the team already has an idea of who it wants to replace him as the franchise quarterback going forward.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, there's a belief around the NFL that the Commanders are "very interested" in USC star quarterback Caleb Williams, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

"The Commanders, with a break here or there over the next couple of weeks, could find themselves in position to either draft Williams or trade up a spot or two to get him," Graziano wrote.

Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett will get the start against the 49ers in place of Howell, who was benched in each of the last two games. However, Brissett obviously isn't Washington's quarterback of the future.

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is a Washington, D.C. native and would be a game-changing addition to a Commanders franchise that has made just one playoff appearance in the past seven years.

At 4-11, the Commanders are currently projected to have the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft. However, Washington is on a six-game losing streak that doesn't look to be ending any time soon, so perhaps the team will be able to move up in the draft order over the final two weeks of the season.