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Several minutes after the Dolphins traded for veteran DB Aqib Talib, they have decided to shutdown their star defensive back for the remainder of the 2019 season.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Dolphins will be placing Xavien Howard on injured reserve. He will miss the remainder of the 2019 season.
Source: #Dolphins CB Xavien Howard is headed to Injured Reserve after sustaining a knee injury last night. It’s not an ACL or MCL, but the team will be cautious as he is part of their future. He also got locked up long-term prior to this.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 29, 2019
Howard, 25, agreed to a long-term deal with the Dolphins earlier this offseason. The deal was worth 5-years, 76-million, which made him the highest paid defensive back in football.
Howard has been hampered with a knee injury for most of the 2019 season. So it was in Miami’s best interest to shut the talented cornerback down in a lost season.
Coach Flores and his coaching staff will now have the opportunity to evaluate the rest of the Dolphins’ cornerbacks, heading into the most important offseason in franchise history.