Sam Howell is still the leader in the clubhouse to start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders, but head coach Ron Rivera is keeping the competition open.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Rivera said Jacoby Brissett is "in the mix" to earn the starting job with mandatory minicamp set to begin.

After the team rotated between Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke at quarterback for most of last season, Howell came into the offseason in the driver's seat to be the starter.

Wentz was released in February and Heinicke signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

Howell, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, made one start as a rookie. The 22-year-old went 11-of-19 for 169 yards with two touchdowns (one rushing) and one interception in a 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18.

Rivera told reporters on Feb. 8 Howell would go into offseason activities as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, "but it's something he has to continue to earn and show us he deserves to be that guy."

The Commanders did give themselves another option by signing Brissett to a one-year, $8 million deal. He is coming off a solid 2022 with the Cleveland Browns when he started the first 11 games while Deshaun Watson was serving his suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Brissett threw for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns and completed 64.1 percent of his attempts in those 11 games. His 60.0 QBR ranked eighth among all qualified quarterbacks, ahead of Lamar Jackson (59.1), Joe Burrow (58.7) and Justin Herbert (58.2).

Given Howell's lack of experience and lower draft status pick, there's no reason for the Commanders to guarantee him their starting job.

Brissett has been one of the most valuable backups in the NFL during his seven-year career. He's started 48 games, including 15 for the Indianapolis Colts in 2019 when Andrew Luck retired two weeks before the start of the regular season.

Last year showed Brissett is capable of playing at a high level on a week-to-week basis. The Commanders finished a respectable 8-8-1 and were in playoff contention through Week 17.

If the Commanders are to be a postseason contender in the NFC again this season, it would be in their best interest to let Howell and Brissett share reps with the first-team offense to see which one fares better.