Longtime Dolphins Corner Xavien Howard Abruptly Retires

While seeing Xavien Howard in a Colts jersey was a weird feeling, it didn’t last long. Howard had a rough start with the Colts and after four weeks he has abruptly retired. Howard made his announcement October first via his Instagram:

Xavien Howard is arguably the best corner in Dolphin’s history, up there with franchise icons Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison. As a Dolphin Howard tallied:

• Achievements: 5× Pro Bowl (2018, 2020-2022), First-team All-Pro (2020) 100 games
• Stats: 29 interceptions, 4 touchdowns, 95 passes defended, 331 tackles

Over 100 games. Howard was a bright spot in the rough Dolphins years, forming a fierce duo with the likes of Byron Jones and Jalen Ramsey, holding down the Dolphin’s secondary. Howard was a playmaker, a ball hawk and should have been the defensive player of the year in his 2020 campaign where he recorded:

•  10 interceptions (led NFL)  
• 20 passes defended (led NFL)  
• 1 forced fumble
• 51 total tackles

Howard came third in the voting that year and led the Miami Dolphins to a top 10 defense.

Now Xavien Howard will get to spend more time with his kids and be a father. At 32 Howard has plenty ahead of him and will look forward to his next chapter in life.

After nearly a decade in the NFL, Howard believes he has “fulfilled his purpose” with football and it’s hard to argue against that. His 8 seasons in Miami contain some of the most dominant stretches from an NFL corner and make a strong case for the best tenure in Dolphin’s history.

A corner has yet to make the Miami Dolphins ring of honor, but it will be difficult not to make a case for Xavien Howard. Below are his best highlights. https://x.com/FinsPhanatics/status/1973516416528818230

Howard’s career might feel like it ended suddenly, but his place in Dolphin’s history is anything but fleeting. For nearly a decade, he was the heartbeat of Miami’s defense, the rare player who could tilt a game with one play. Few corners in the league could match his instincts and ability to bait quarterbacks into costly mistakes, and for Dolphins fans, his interceptions were often the lone sparks in otherwise lean years.

Whether or not he becomes the first cornerback in the team’s Ring of Honor, Howard has already secured something harder to earn–lasting respect from the fanbase and a spot in the conversation with the Dolphins’ all-time greats.