The Miami Dolphins have officially cut Xavien Howard, but it comes with a failed designation behind it.
Miami Dolphins Cut a Still-Injured Xavien Howard
Just after the start of the NFL new year, the Miami Dolphins announced that they would be officially releasing Howard, making him a free agent. However, trying to find a new home might be a struggle for the cornerback due to the fact that he hasn’t fully recovered from a foot injury to pass a physical.
The fact that Howard still hasn’t recovered from a foot injury sustained on New Year’s Eve makes some wonder what he’s done in terms of recovery and healing said injury so he can pass a physical.
In the weeks following his injury, he was seen in a cast, but a video circulated around last month of the cornerback working some on-field drills, which would suggest that he’s certainly making progress with the healing process, but what is the point that Miami wanted Howard to be at in order to pass a physical?
Howard should be able to return to play this season, so it won’t be hard for him to find a team, but in the case that he doesn’t, the Dolphins would be giving him a paycheck of $4M injury guarantee since he failed his physical.
In his eight years with the Dolphins, Howard made $86.6M total, and they could bring him back for a discounted rate, but Howard probably won’t come back if he would have to take a pay-cut. He knew that Miami would end up cutting him, and made it clear that when the season ended that he was not going to take a pay-cut.
“That door is closed, I’m sorry,” Howard said on WQAM 560 just last week. “I did not hear that at all [during my final meeting with GM Chris Grier]. I know that door is closed though.
“In this business, you know how it goes,” Howard said. “You feel it. Eight years in, I’ve seen the business side of it so many times and I know how it pans out. Me and my agent talked about it before we signed our last deal, that’s how it was going to happen. It ended up happening. I wasn’t surprised at all.”
Xavien Howard finishes his tenure with the Miami Dolphins as a 4x Pro Bowler, 2x team captain, and 2x Dan Marino Team MVP Award winner, all while recording the second-most interceptions by anyone in the league since he was drafted in 2018.