Report: Miami Dolphins ‘unlikely’ to trade away Xavien Howard

The Miami Dolphins are “unlikely” to trade star cornerback Xavien Howard despite his recent trade request, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.

“The Dolphins are listening when teams call them about Xavien Howard — and several have — but to this point, the Dolphins want far more than what teams are willing to offer for the Pro Bowl cornerback, who has requested a trade,” Jackson wrote.

“A team source called it unlikely that Howard would be traded. ‘Why would we?’ the person said, noting the four years left on his contract.

“But nobody can rule it out, because it’s impossible to say if 1) A playoff contender will lose a cornerback to injury and offer multiple high draft picks for Howard or 2) If Howard becomes disruptive, which hasn’t happened to this point.”

Howard has four more years left on his deal, and while he has outperformed his current contract, the team and Howard have been unable to come to an agreement on a new deal.

Last season, Howard was named an All-Pro for the first time in his career.

He intercepted a league-high 10 passes and recorded 51 tackles and 20 passes defended.

The Dolphins are looking to make the playoffs after a strong 10-6 season in 2020, and they certainly would have a better chance to do so if Howard is on the roster.