Howard showcases on-field workouts, proving his foot is recovering

Xavien Howard is working his way back from a left foot fracture, running and cutting three weeks before Dolphins have a decision to make on his future

Xavien Howard is back on the football field training, seemingly showcasing that the left foot injury that prematurely ended his 2023 season is healthy enough for him to pass a physical.

That is important for two reasons. 

The first is that Howard has $7 million in bonuses and base salary that becomes due and guaranteed March 15 tied to his existing deal, a contract the Dolphins will either work to restructure or void in the coming days to create necessary cap space for this offseason's roster renovations.

And the second is if Howard, who contributed 45 tackles, one interception and 12 pass deflections in the 13 games he played last season, does get released and becomes a free agent, the longest-tenured Dolphins player will need to pass a physical to secure a new home for his ninth season.

Footwork drills with Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. Efficiency in and out of the break pic.twitter.com/xdUQMZYjby

— DB Tips (@dbtips101) February 21, 2024

In an Instagram story posted Monday, Howard used a short video clip of musician Usher with a message that seemingly applied to his present situation.

“Sometimes you got to leave," Usher says. "Sometimes you have to go away from home in order to be truly valued and appreciated and maybe find yourself. Sometimes in the wilderness you'll find something valuable and you come back and you can really enjoy it.”

Houston, not Miami is Howard's home

Addressing the Instagram post, Howard clarified privately Monday that “Houston is my home.”

So does that mean he’s eyeing a return to his hometown, playing for the Houston Texans, which qualified for the playoffs last season after winning the AFC South with a 10-7 record?

Howard seemingly expects something to start brewing in the coming days with the scouting combine, which is the league’s unofficial tampering period when teams and agents shop players, right around the corner.

Howard told reporters on locker cleanout day — two days after the playoff loss at Kansas City — that he was prepared to move on after eight seasons with the Dolphins.

“It’s up in the air," Howard said then. "At the end of the day it’s a business also. My eight years here, I’ve made the best of it. If this year is the last year and I have to say goodbye to some of the guys here I understand. It’s a part of the business. No matter where I go, I’m still going to do my thing.”

As has been well documented by now, the Dolphins could save $18.5 million in cap space by releasing Howard with a post-June 1 designation while having $7.4 million of dead money.

That's still a lot more palatable than Howard's current cap number of $25.9 million, particularly for a team dealing with such cap issues as the Dolphins, who have a laundry list of free agents who need to be re-signed.

It is projected that the Dolphins need to clear at least $50 million in cap space by March 13, which is the start of the new league year. If the Dolphins use the franchise tag to retain defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, committing to pay him $19.8 million for one season, that figure will grow substantially.

Cutting Howard doesn't create immediate cap relief

The one negative about using the post-June 1 designation (each team can use it twice every year) on Howard is that the cap space can't be used until that date.

The Dolphins (almost assuredly) wouldn't release Howard without a post-June 1 designation because they would only save $2.8 million in cap space under that scenario with more than $23 million of dead money.

Howard wasn't among the players new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver listed as being excited to work with during his introductory press conference last week, and neither were defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah or linebacker Jerome Baker, two other candidates to be shaken down or purged to clear cap space.

The writing indeed does seem to be on the wall when it comes to Howard, whose 29 career interceptions are tied for fourth in Dolphins history and are the most in the NFL since 2017.

By March 15, which is the third day of the league’s new year, $4 million of Howard’s $15.4 million base salary becomes guaranteed and he’s also due $3 million in a roster bonus.

That means the Dolphins will be forced to make a decision on him —restructure or release — before committing $7 million of his salary to the four-time Pro Bowl selection.

If Howard is released, he'll immediately be able to negotiate with other teams, and his departure would leave Kader Kohou, Cam Smith and Ethan Bonner as the only cornerbacks on the roster vying to work opposite Jalen Ramsey, for whom Weaver had big plans in 2024.

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