Howard Thoughts: Reporting Day and His Good (or Bad) Contract
It was good for the Miami Dolphins and their fans to see Xavien Howard report on time to the Baptist Health Training Complex for the start of training camp.
It wasn't entirely surprising, though.
While Howard skipped the mandatory June minicamp and subjected himself to fines totaling in excess of $90,000, holding out in training camp is an entirely different story. The fine for every day with an unexcused absence during training camp is $50,000, and it's not rescindable.
So Howard showing up doesn't mean the situation has been resolved because the All-Pro cornerback still wants his contract redone, though he doesn't have much recourse outside of formally requesting a trade considering there's four years left on the deal.
If Howard doesn't get a new contract or get traded but doesn't want to get fined for holding out, then the Dolphins might have an unhappy player — a very important unhappy player — on their hands with the power to become a disruptive force.
That's the dilemma at hand, and it hasn't changed because Howard took the expected route of attending training camp.
Head coach Brian Flores' comments regarding Howard being present for the start of training camp were exactly what you'd expect, that he was happy that Howard reported and that whatever discussions have, are or will be held relative to the situation will remain confidential.
Of course, Howard's contract is the issue, basically because he has seen himself go from the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time of his extension in 2019 to sixth-highest. Maybe worse, one of those above him is teammate Byron Jones, who passed when he signed with the Dolphins as a free agent during the 2020 offseason.
"Miami proved to be the last team able to get a top level cornerback contract done utilizing the stagnant market numbers to lock Howard up for just over $15 million a season," Fitzgerald wrote. "Within a year Miami offered Byron Jones $1.5M more per year and $8 million more in guarantees in an effort to power up the secondary. Clearly this has upset Howard who is already looking for a raise just two years after signing the contract.
"Nothing about the contract really stood out in Howard’s favor. He was a franchise player who did not sign a franchise level contract. The term of the contract was long so it is not as if he would have an early re-entry into free agency. Structure wise it was also a home run for Miami with just a $7 million signing bonus that would give the Dolphins an ability for a quick exit if things went poorly. While Howard wasn’t hoodwinked the way some others have been he probably wound up leaving $2 to $3 million a year on the table."
That's why Howard, through his new agent David Canter, wants a new contract. The Dolphins don't necessarily want to revisit his contract because of the precedent of redoing a deal with so much time left on it.
Hence the situation we now have.
And, yes, it remains a "situation" even if Howard reported to training camp Tuesday.
