NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported that the Miami Dolphins are set to release cornerback Xavien Howard at the start of the 2024 league year. That move makes him a free agent who can negotiate with other squads.
Howard is coming off a season with 45 tackles, 12 passes defended, and an interception in 13 games. A foot injury cut his campaign short.
He signed a five-year, $90 million restructured contract extension during the 2022 offseason, and 2024 would have been his third year under the deal.
However, his cap hit would have increased from $10 million in 2023 to $25.9 million in 2024, his highest count throughout the deal. Despite his impending release, the Dolphins are still $27.9 million over the $255.4 million salary cap because of his $23.1 million dead cap. But the Dolphins can soften the blow by designating him as a post-June 1 cap casualty, allowing them to distribute Howard’s dead money over two seasons.
While Xavien Howard had a down year in 2023, he’s still among the best cornerbacks in the National Football League, as his agent, David Canter, tweeted.
@Iamxavienhoward makes every team in the national football league an instant contender. Lock down corners don’t hit the market often.
— David Canter (@davidcanter) February 23, 2024
Howard is a 2018 Second Team All-Pro member and a First Team All-Pro cornerback two years later. Coincidentally, he was the NFL’s interceptions leader for both years, tallying seven in 2018 and a career-high ten in 2020. He earned four Pro Bowl selections, including three consecutive nods from 2020 to 2022.
With the salary cap for 2024 increasing by $30.6 million compared to last season’s value, the bidding war for Howard’s services could be intense and pricey.
Aside from Xavien Howard, the Dolphins are also releasing Emmanuel Ogbah, according to a February 23 article by ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Ogbah signed a four-year, $65 million contract in 2022, and releasing him will give the Dolphins $13.7 million in cap savings.
-Lance Fernandez