Indianapolis Colts CB Xavien Howard to retire from NFL
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Xavien Howard is retiring from the NFL after returning to the league this season. On Wednesday, the Colts announced they have placed Howard on the reserved/retired list. As of this writing, Howard has not publicly announced his retirement.
Xavien Howard returned to the NFL this year after not playing in 2024. Through four games this season, the former Baylor star recorded 11 tackles and one fumble recovery.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com mentioned that Howard has struggled in the last three games, allowing 16 catches on 20 targets. In Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, the 32-year-old allowed seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.
On Tuesday, Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo defended Howard, saying that the entire defense needs to improve. “The combination of all of it,” Anarumo said, via the Indy Star. “You’re playing against an elite passing game with two elite receivers and a quarterback, and at some point, rust or no rust, we’ve got to make sure we’re out there and guarding the guys we’re tasked to guard. We’ve all got to do a better job. Not just X, but me.”
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Xavien Howard was an All-Pro cornerback at with the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins selected Howard in the second round (No. 38 overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. In eight seasons, Howard was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and the All-Pro Team twice. The Dolphins released Howard in March of 2024.
Before the 2025 season kicked off, Howard expressed his excitement about returning to the NFL. “I’ve been excited to put on this uniform and go out there and compete and show the brass what I can do,” he said, per ESPN. “I feel like you can’t really just describe it, man. It’s just coming out of the tunnel, man. I’ve been on the couch about a year and a half, so to just get the opportunity to put on the jersey and go out there and compete is everything for me.”
Howard played at Baylor from 2012 to 2015. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2015 after tallying 42 tackles, five interceptions, and 10 passes defended.