“Saving up cap room for Tua’s extension” – Dolphins releasing 4-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard despite ‘incredible run’ with Miami sparks mixed reactions on social media

Fans speculate sacrificing Howard could open the door for major quarterback extension.

“Saving up cap room for Tua’s extension” – Dolphins releasing 4-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard despite ‘incredible run’ with Miami sparks mixed reactions on social media

(L) Tua Tagovailoa and (R) Xavien Howard (Image via IMAGO)

Disappointing news for Miami Dolphins fans: they will no longer witness the brilliance of cornerback duo Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins issued a statement saying that they would cut Howard for the next season.

After feeling unwanted despite performing at the Pro Bowl level, Howard requested a trade in 2021. To keep him on the squad, the Dolphins gave him a 5-year contract worth $50.691 million the following year. But fast forward to February 2024, and the Dolphins have decided the 30-year-old doesn’t feature in their future plans.

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As per CBS Sports Josina Anderson, Howard’s release is down to the salary cap. Even though the NFL increased the cap by $30 million, it seems the Dolphins want to use Howard’s remaining contact money elsewhere. 

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Football fans on X speculate why the Dolphins cut Xavien Howard

Cutting Howard from the roster will add $18.5 million to the Dolphins salary cap. But that will only come into play after the June 1 deadline, as per the Sun Sentinel. If they cut him before June 1, then they would only bag $2.5 million.

"Saving up cap room for Tua's extension" - Dolphins releasing 4-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard despite 'incredible run' with Miami sparks mixed reactions on social media
Cornerback Xavien Howard (Image via IMAGO)

The Dolphins can still release him at the start of the new league year in March, and they cut him post-June 1 deadline. Howard was on thin ice not because of his on-field performances, but for his shenanigans off it. Perhaps it had some part to play in the sudden announcement. But football fans have conjured up a different theory.

They speculate that the reason for parting ways with Xavien Howard is the pending extension of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pellisero revealed that neither the Dolphins front office nor Tagovailoa’s agents want to linger on the negotiations until the offseason begins. Check out how football fans reacted to this development:

https://twitter.com/onballsiakam/status/1761130231882977590
https://twitter.com/my_name_a_pete/status/1761128774949560648

Tagovailoa will earn around $23.2 million in 2024 while playing out the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. If the Dolphins give him a new deal, then the 25-year-old would be among the highest-paid players in the NFL.

Tagovailoa couldn’t manage to uplift the Dolphins game against the Kansas City Chiefs. They eventually folded, with the Bama graduate completing just 20 of his 39 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown, and one interception. The Dolphins were already in decline, being the team with the longest dry run since entering the playoffs. Tagovailoa had thrown interceptions in four straight games, losing three of them.

Xavien Howard, on the other hand, registered another good year. He registered 45 tackles, 14 pass deflections in 13 games, and one interception. Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2016, Howard has had the second-most picks, with 29. 

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