After Immense Struggles, Colts' Xavien Howard Retires

Undrafted free agent cornerback Jonathan Edwards is the name behind Howard on the depth chart. Edwards played three snaps against the Rams, but he'll likely see a large increase against the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend.

PFF graded Howard as the 156th-ranked corner in the league through four weeks. The veteran didn't just struggle against the Rams; he also had a poor showing against the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw for multiple first-half touchdowns when targeting Howard.

When Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked about Howard this week, he said that the veteran certainly needed to improve.

“Yeah, I mean, we evaluate everything every week," Steichen said. "Like I said, [Xavien Howard has] been a really good player in this league for a long time. We’ve got to do a better job looking at different things and helping him in certain situations. He is a talented player, but we’ve got to improve in some areas, for sure.”

In coachspeak, that likely meant that Howard's starting job was on the line. After one month in Indianapolis, Howard went from the starting corner opposite Charvarius Ward to no longer playing football.

Indy's secondary is now in desperate need of more depth, especially due to injuries to Jaylon Jones and Kenny Moore II. The Colts signed Mike Hilton last Monday, and he had a decent first game against the Rams.

The Colts' secondary will deal with Geno Smith and the Raiders' offense this weekend. It's possible the Colts try to give Edwards or Mekhi Blackmon the nod against Vegas before making any signings or trades for another corner.

Former Colts corner Stephon Gilmore is available, and the Seattle Seahawks are rumored to want to trade away Tariq Woolen. Both would likely be instant starters in Indianapolis, but who knows if general manager Chris Ballard wants to make another signing.