The Miami Dolphins’ dispute with Xavien Howard has been resolved at last.
While apparently hesitant to do so at first, Miami eventually agreed to restructure Howard’s contract. The deal will keep the star cornerback in a Dolphins uniform for the foreseeable future.
Details about the restructured deal have turned up.
“The Dolphins and Howard reached a compromise in which Howard received a potential $4.5 million in new incentives for 2021 and more guaranteed money for 2022,” reported Barry Jackson and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
“Previously, his $12.375 million salary in 2022 wasn’t guaranteed at all; now $6.775 million of that salary is guaranteed. And the entire salary is guaranteed for 2022 if he sustains a serious injury this season.
“According to a league source, here’s what the Dolphins gave him for 2021, which could raise his compensation from $12.1 million to $16.2 million:
“1) He gets $1 million in he makes the Pro Bowl or is an All Pro this season.
“2) If Howard attains stats that are 70 percent above the team’s three worst categories, he gets another $750,000.
“3) He will get another $750,000 in incentives if he plays 80 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps.”
It’s hard to argue against the notion that Howard deserves such a raise. After all, he has been one of the league’s best defensive players in recent years. The 2020 first-team All-Pro led the league in interceptions in 2018 and 2020.
ESPN even ranked the 28-year-old as the third best cornerback in the NFL in one of its recent surveys.
In the upcoming season, Howard has the chance to prove that he is indeed one of the league’s best players.
