Dolphins Could Be Forced to Play Without Xavien Howard

It’s possible that this Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles could provide the franchise a sneak peek into the future of the Miami Dolphins secondary.

Xavien Howard injured his groin in last Sunday’s 42-21 win over the Carolina Panthers, and if history repeats itself — and this groin injury lingers like the one he played through last year — the Dolphins might benefit from shutting down the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback for a couple of weeks.

“We’re going to see how ‘X’ calms down and responds to treatment. Just normal weekly question marks that we have to figure out,” head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday referring to Howard, who has a 76.5 opponent passer rating when targeted this season.

That passer rating is the best in Miami's secondary, which has the NFL's sixth-worst passer rating (98.9) for opposing quarterbacks this season.

Howard battled two groin injuries in 2022, and after the season he admitted the groin strains impacted his performance. The Dolphins have been committed to keeping him healthy for the entire season, which might mean they won’t repeat the approach they took with him last season when they allowed him to play through the injuries.

Howard sat out one practice last week with what the team described as veteran rest, and it’s possible he could be limited to one practice this week if the plan is for him to play Sunday.

Or the Dolphins can shut him down completely, like they did center Connor Williams, who aggravated a groin strain he's been nursing for a few weeks because he came back to play too soon, only one week after injuring the groin.

This season the Dolphins have typically rested all players nursing a groin injury at least one full week.

Eagles present tough matchups

The Dolphins would benefit from having Howard this week against the Eagles, who feature one of the top receiver duos in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who have accounted for 70 receptions, which they have turned into 1,005 yards and four touchdowns.

Brown, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is the best receiver the Dolphins have faced since Stefon Diggs carved up Miami’s secondary three weeks ago, scoring three touchdowns in Miami’s 48-20 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

If Howard isn’t available for that matchup, the Dolphins would be forced to lean on veterans Kader Kohou, Eli Apple, Justin Bethel, Parry Nickerson, Kelvin Joseph, and possibly rookie Cam Smith to fill the cornerback roles.

Cornerback unit must step up

Kohou, a second-year starter, has been working as a boundary and nickel cornerback all season, while Apple and Bethel have filled in as either the third cornerback, or a dime cornerback. Last week Nickerson got in the mix as Miami’s dime cornerback, replacing Bethel.

Smith, the Dolphins’ 2023 second-round pick, played in Miami’s secondary for the first time this season last Sunday, handling four snaps at the end of the win against the Panthers. The Dolphins have been ultra conservative about using the former South Carolina standout in the defense because he seemingly hasn’t earned defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s trust.

Defensive pass game coordinator Sam Madison, who knows a little something about playing the position, claims Smith's biggest issue has been his lack of consistency.

"Coming from college to the pros, it's all the little small details. I don't care if it's in the building early, out of the building late, just being consistent with those types of things,” said Madison, who played 12 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Dolphins, before becoming a position coach in 2019. “The kid, he has some talent, but now you just got to follow it up and put it all together."

Howard's future is undecided

What happens with Howard this week could have implications that last longer than this season.

Plenty is riding on Howard’s performance in 2023 because he’s due $18.5 million in 2024, and $3 million of it is a roster bonus. At that salary he’ll be the fifth-highest paid player on the roster, behind Jalen Ramsey, Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb and Tyreek Hill.

On March 18, which is five days into the start of the free agent signing period, not only is Howard's $3 million roster bonus due but $4 million of his salary becomes guaranteed.

The Dolphins could create an identical amount in cap space if he’s released with a June 1 designation. Trading Howard, who recently turned 30, is also an option if the Dolphins' decision-makers feel they are capable of finding a cheaper, or better, cornerback.

The only thing that might keep Howard in South Florida is if he delivers another productive season, one that proves he’s worth his paycheck.

A prerequisite for that is keeping him healthy.