It’s been a dream season for Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, with him leading the NFL in interceptions, making the Pro Bowl again, and being a strong candidate for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
But with that dream comes the business reality that the team’s best playmaker feels he’s outperforming the contract he signed last year.
And, according to NFL sources, Howard’s representation will tell the Dolphins this offseason they want to renegotiate the player’s deal — an exercise that could be filled with drama, depending on the team’s response.
When Howard signed his five-year, $75 million contract in the spring of 2019, it made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. But two years later, Howard is now the sixth-highest paid cornerback in the league.
And he’s not even the highest-paid cornerback on his own team.
The Dolphins last offseason signed Byron Jones to a five-year, $82 million deal that easily vaulted past Howard’s deal.
Jones is averaging $16.5 million on an annual average while Howard is averaging $15 million.
Jones got $46 million fully guaranteed compared to $27.2 million for Howard.
Jones this season is Miami’s highest paid player and Howard is second.
And next season, Jones is scheduled to make $14 million in base salary and Howard is scheduled to make $12.075 million in base salary.
This against the backdrop that Howard has nine interceptions this season and the entire rest of the team has seven.
Howard, Miami’s only Pro Bowl starter, is not envious of Jones or any other cornerback who has surpassed his two-year-old contract, according to sources.
But, those sources insist Howard wants what is “fair” and his case for deserving a renegotiated contract comes with a compelling argument.
It’s not known how the Dolphins will feel about all this.
It’s not even clear the team has been informed of the Howard camp’s offseason intentions.
But those intentions are a poorly kept secret among industry sources. And even Howard has mentioned to one source he’d be willing to hold out if his deal is not renegotiated.
So where does this leave the Dolphins?
On the one hand they might balk at the idea of renegotiating Howard’s contract with three full seasons still to go. The club might not like setting that example because it could lead other players who out-perform their deals to similarly seek a renegotiation.
And that’s where the drama would come in to play because Howard’s camp will be adamant about its position.
So Howard might indeed consider holding out next year’s training camp or perhaps some parts of the offseason unless a new deal is worked out.
The sides might even reach the conclusion a trade would be best for everyone involved, although that seems like a last-resort option.
On the other hand, the Dolphins might feel that it’s fair to pay their best playmaker the highest salary on the team and perhaps even the highest salary at his position around the league, which is what Howard will be shooting for at first.
Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey is the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, averaging $20 million per season. He signed a milestone $100 million contract this season that included $43 million fully guaranteed.
And Ramsey this season has one interception.
And Ramsey in his career (2016-2020) has 11 interceptions. While Howard in his career (2016-2020) has 21 interceptions.
The Dolphins are keenly aware how good Howard is. He’s impressed coaches and teammates alike.
“First of all, he’s gifted athletically,” defensive coordinator Josh Boyer said Tuesday. “He has a really good skill set. He’s strong, he’s able to diagnose plays, he’s got a good feel, he doesn’t really panic when the ball is in the air.
“And I would say the thing that pleases me most about Xavien is he’s really a selfless player. He’s done really well in the run game and he’s really made some big plays for us. He’s just a guy that you can count on consistently week-in and week-out.
“He has a nose for the football and he’s done a really good job for us and he continues to work hard. He comes in and puts in a good week’s work every week and he’s striving to get better, so all good things to say about him and hopefully he’ll come in here this week and work harder to get better. He’s been a productive player for us, for sure.”
Replacing Howard, if it ever comes to that, could prove to be quite difficult.
“He’s a real playmaker,” safety Bobby McCain said. “He attacks the football. That’s one of the things people understand, he’s attacking the football in man-to-man coverage and that’s elite.”
And while all this is going on — with two games remaining in his dream season and an eventful offseason on the horizon — Howard on Tuesday shared one primary thought that was on his mind:
“Right now my main goal is to finish what’s in front us,’ Howard said, “and take on the [Las Vegas] Raiders this week.”
