Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is under contract for 2019, entering the final season of his rookie deal — yet we have seen players opt out of voluntary workouts for less. But there are no politics or statements here for Howard, who the Dolphins have already expressed heavy interest in re-signing for the long-term.
Instead, as the Dolphins took the practice field for the first time for voluntary workouts, Howard was present and working hard. This display of good faith from Xavien is a pretty unique situation in today’s NFL. With a potential injury looming around any corner, it would be easy to say “I’ll be here…after I’ve signed my new deal.”
But Howard is putting his money where his mouth is. He’s been in the building for every team activity this month, all without the new deal that both he and the Dolphins are hoping to see materialize.
Seeing Howard this committed to his craft — and to the Dolphins — is likely to go rewarded when his second contract is extended. The Dolphins will have a plethora of cash and cap space at their disposal this off-season, so playing nice could yield a more hefty pay-day in the end.
There’s motivation to play nice, but at the end of the day it seems apparent that Howard and the Dolphins both trust that this is going to work and will take care of each other along way.
