The Miami Dolphins are releasing cornerback Xavien Howard, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. On Friday afternoon, the television personality disclosed that the Dolphins want to release Howard at the start of the league year, which begins on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET. The NFL later verified the news with a post on X.
The Dolphins make this move to conserve money, as the team is currently $51 million over the salary cap. By dismissing the cornerback, the Dolphins save $18.5 million in cap space, which will become available on June 2 as a post-June 1 reduction.
Howard was the team’s longest-tenured player, having been selected 38th overall in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Dolphins. Howard totaled 331 tackles, 95 passes defensed, 29 interceptions, eight tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, three quarterback hits, and two sacks across eight seasons.
The Miami cornerback was a four-time Pro Bowler and a 2020 First-Team All-Pro selection. Howard will be difficult to replace and is expected to be a valuable commodity in free agency.
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