MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The National Football League today announced that Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has been selected to start for the AFC team in the 2021 Pro Bowl.
It is the second Pro Bowl selection of Howard’s career. He was also named a Pro Bowl starter following the 2018 season.
Howard leads the NFL with nine interceptions this season and his 21 interceptions since 2017 are the most in the league. His nine this year are second in Dolphins history and the most since 1967, when cornerback Dick Westmoreland had 10. The last time an NFL player had nine interceptions in a season was Chicago’s Tim Jennings in 2012, when he also had nine. If Howard gets one more interception this season, he will match the Dolphins’ record and be the first NFL player since San Diego’s Antonio Cromartie (10) in 2007 to post double-digit interceptions in the same season.
Howard has also been productive outside of intercepting passes. His 17 passes defensed this season are tied for second in the NFL and he forced a fumble in last week’s win vs. New England.
Howard is the fourth cornerback in Dolphins history to earn multiple Pro Bowl selections and third to be chosen as a starter, joining Sam Madison (1999-2002), Patrick Surtain (2002-04) and Brent Grimes (2013-15). Madison started the Pro Bowls following the 1999-2001 seasons while Surtain started the Pro Bowls following the 2002-03 seasons. This marks the sixth time in the past eight years the Dolphins have had a member of the secondary earn a Pro Bowl selection.
