Dolphins, Xavien Howard agree to reworked contract to keep him in Miami

Xavien Howard is staying in South Beach.

After officially requesting a trade from the Miami Dolphins in July due to unhappiness with his current contract, Howard negotiated an increase in earnings for 2021 and 2022. Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Howard's 2021 camp fines have all been rescinded and his maximum earning potential has been bumped up from $12 million to $16.285 million for the upcoming season.

6- with 17th game to base for 2021 bringing 2021 compensation fully guaranteed to $12,785,294

Max for 2021 is $16,285,294

[Cont] https://t.co/AkEueCsnKQ

— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 8, 2021

For 2022, Howard's per game roster bonuses ($500K) and $100K workout bonus have been converted to base salary and made guaranteed for injury, per multiple reporters. His $12.975 2022 salary is also injury guaranteed and will be fully guaranteed on the first day of the 2022 league year. And finally, $6.775 million of the 2022 salary was made fully guaranteed at signing of the new contract.

Rapoport also added that Howard's camp “got assurances they will renegotiate a new deal in late February/March in line with market based on health and 2021 performance.”

Howard (28) has allowed just a 62.5 passer rating when targeted over the past three NFL seasons, good for the third-lowest figure among the 131 cornerbacks with at least 75 targets since 2018. He also ranked second in percentage of targets where he recorded either a pass breakup or an interception (23.4%) in the same three-year span.

The 2020 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler is now entering his sixth NFL season after earning a career-high 89.6 PFF coverage grade in 2020. Howard logged just a 53.0 passer rating when targeted, 10 pass breakups and 10 interceptions — all career-highs. He ranked No. 4 in PFF’s outside cornerback rankings entering 2021, behind only Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey and Marlon Humphrey. Only Alexander recorded a higher PFF grade than Howard in 2020.