Things seem to be moving in the right direction for Xavien Howard and the Dolphins. The star cornerback returned to the practice field on Saturday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), which likely means he’s reached a compromise with Miami on his contract.
Howard, who’s frustrated with his now under-market deal, requested a trade late last month. However, the Dolphins have rebuffed all requests for the All-Pro corner.
“We don’t want to trade X. Write that down. He’s a very good player. He’s a big part of the team. We don’t want to trade him,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said on Friday. “Talks are progressing. You take from that what you want. As long as everyone is willing to compromise, we can get something done.”
Howard led the league with 10 interceptions last year and graded out as the second-best CB in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. However, his current $15 million/year average ranks just sixth at the position. When he signed his last deal in 2019, Howard was the highest-paid corner in NFL history.
Now, just a couple of years later, he regrets putting pen to paper. Or, in his words, he’s no longer “comfortable” with the arrangement. Soon, Howard should have a new deal to push him back toward the top. At the very least, it should be a reworked pact to put him on a par with teammate Byron Jones.
More must-reads: