July 27 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins star cornerback Xavien Howard, unhappy with his current contract, has requested a trade.
The disgruntled cornerback made the announcement Tuesday on social media, saying he doesn’t feel “valued, or respected by the Dolphins.”
“I’ve given my heart and soul to the Miami Dolphins franchise since they drafted me in 2016, and want to make it clear that I love my teammates,” he wrote on Twitter. “They are my family. But what I’ve learned is that the business side of the NFL proves organizations don’t always have a player’s best interest at heart.
“… That’s why I want to make it clear I’m not happy, and have requested a trade. Until that trade happens I am just here so I don’t get fined, and will handle myself like professionals do.”
#Dolphins CB Xavien Howard on Instagram says he’s requested a trade pic.twitter.com/EJVaqFKo91— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 28, 2021
Howard reported to training camp this week, but the two-time Pro Bowl defensive back was frustrated this off-season over the Dolphins’ unwillingness to rework his contract.
The 28-year-old Howard signed a five-year, $75 million deal in 2019 that, at the time, made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. However, he is due $12 million in non-guaranteed money this season while coming off a 2020 campaign that saw him record a league-best 10 interceptions.
Byron Jones, the starting cornerback opposite Howard, inked a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Dolphins in free agency last year.
“I’ve played on that deal for two seasons and didn’t complain, but everyone knows I’ve significantly outperformed that deal,” Howard said of his contract. “I’m one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and the tape backs up that claim. The assignments I’m given, shadowing the opposition’s best player with little help, proves my value, my worth.
“Yet, I’m the second-highest-paid cornerback on my own team, and it’s not even close.”
Howard also mentioned that he never asked for a completely new contract from the Dolphins. Instead, Howard and his agent, David Canter, offered solutions such as more guaranteed money on a restructured pact.
“I want to clear up a few misconceptions about my situation. My agent David Canter and I have never once asked for a completely new contract,” Howard wrote. “We wanted things to work out with the Dolphins, and brought solutions to the table — like guaranteeing more money — that we felt were win-wins for both sides.
“These were proposals of adjustments that wouldn’t just make me feel more respected, but were also cap friendly. But the Dolphins refused everything we proposed. That is why I don’t feel the organization has dealt with me in good faith. I don’t feel valued, or respected by the Dolphins. Just like they can take a business-first approach, so can I.”
The Dolphins selected Howard in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Baylor. In 56 career games in Miami, he has notched 191 total tackles, 22 interceptions, 55 passes defensed, one sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
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