MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed cornerback Xavien Howard to a contract extension through the 2026 season.
Howard was a second-round pick (38th overall) by Miami out of Baylor in the 2016 NFL Draft and is the longest tenured Dolphins player on the roster. He’s earned three Pro Bowl selections (2018, 2020, 2021), two Dan Marino Team MVP awards (2018, 2020) and was named first-team All-Pro in 2020. Howard leads the NFL with 27 interceptions since he entered the league in 2016. His 27 interceptions are sixth in team history and eight shy of the team record (35, Jake Scott). Howard has played in 72 career games with 71 starts, totaling 241 tackles (187 solo), 2.0 sacks, 27 interceptions, 71 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also has three defensive touchdowns (two interceptions, one fumble return), two of which came during the 2021 season.
CB Xavien Howard
(What were the days leading up to the contract finalizing like?) – “The whole process was a great process. I’m just excited to be a Dolphin and continue to play here and hopefully retire (here) and hopefully win the Super Bowl here too.”
(How do you feel to see the team deliver on their promise?) – “Those guys did everything we asked and both sides were happy with everything that panned out. I’m just excited to be here.”
(What have the Dolphins told you that they expect from you, want from you during this new contract?) – “(laughter) To get the ball. That’s what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here. I wouldn’t say nothing different. Continue being a leader in the locker room, help the younger guys out, help the new guys that come into the Miami Dolphins and just continue attacking the ball and making turnovers.”
(The team traded WR DeVante Parker the other day and that makes you the longest tenured player on the team. You’ve been at this several years now. With the new coach, what are you impressions of Mike McDaniel and why do you think this new coaching staff can be different?) – “When I got in the building today, I felt like everything has been different since I got here. The energy, everybody is happy, and I feel like things could be special here with Mike McDaniel bringing that energy. Hopefully he’ll get the offense up to par, and the standard that we expect from both sides of the ball and get the job done here.”
(Speaking of Mike McDaniel, when was the first time you met him, and what was your first reaction?) – “I met him this offseason when he got here. It was probably like the third day I met him. Like I said, the energy was there. I was excited to meet him, he was excited to meet me. Just to touch base, understand each other and what we expect from each other.”
(What’s the excitement level from someone on the defensive side when you see all of the moves the Dolphins are making on the offense? What does it do for a defense?) – “Just to bring everybody back, especially on defense, is so exciting. My boy (Emmanuel) Ogbah, I was happy he’s back. We can make some plays out there together. It’s exciting to have the defense back, especially going into our third year in the same defensive scheme. Some stuff will probably change, but the main stuff that we talk about on the defensive side (probably won’t). Especially the offense – I just told Mike McDaniel that ‘I got to get my hammies right.’ We’ve got a lot of speed over there. I’m excited about everything that’s going on around this building.”
(How do you think you’ll do against WR Tyreek Hill in practice?) – “I think we’ll get each other better. I played against him in college and also in the league. I just want to focus on getting each other better. That’s really it.”
(As someone who has been through coaching changes and has been in this building before, are there things you can say or do or lead by example to help guys adjust to a new system, new people in the building and help the younger guys?) – “That’s my main thing. I’ve been here going on seven years. Seeing the different changes and making everybody buy into the new coaches, I feel like that’s the main thing. If everybody buys in, we’ll get the job done. Especially the guys on the offensive side, I feel like we can do a great job on all three phases. That’s the main thing for me is the buy in and helping the younger guys that come in and helping them.”
(What do you expect from yourself? What expectations are you setting for yourself?) – “To continue to make plays, continue to be me, don’t try to overdo it, continue to take a daily approach coming into the building and just doing my job.”
(Were you confident over the past year and a half that something would work out with the Dolphins for the long term? Were there times where you thought that you would wind up getting traded?) – “We got it done, so I’m here. That’s the only thing that really mattered to me. I’m just excited for this upcoming season.”
(I saw the video you did in the past with Rick Ross. Can you talk about how important the city of Miami is for you? Can you talk about that, and how the city changed you and helped you grow?) – “This is a fast city, so there is a lot of stuff you see here. The whole Rick Ross coming to the city was a great experience just to show people outside looking in how the city is and the good spots, food spots and stuff like that, the culture and everything. It’s a great experience. Coming from Texas, just coming here and seeing different stuff here, different cultures and people coming from different places. Everything around here, I feel like it’s a great experience to come here to Miami and just enjoy it.”
(When you look at your career interceptions, you’re on track to be in range of these kinds of guys – Champ Bailey, Deion Sanders, Ty Law, Darryl Green. They are all Hall of Famers. Do you think you can get there?) – “I’ve just got to continue getting better each year. I really don’t look at the stats about that. Some of the guys, the Hall of Famers, did this and did that. I just try to keep tunnel vision on myself and keep my focus straight. I feel like if I continue to do the stuff I’ve been doing, hopefully at the end when I’m done playing, I’ll get that yellow jacket.”
(You’ve brought a lot of the same guys back on defense but what did it mean to you to see Sam Madison and Pat Surtain added to the staff?) – “I love that. Especially a couple of guys that played in the league. They’re Miami greats. I feel like they’re Miami Dolphins greats. Just learning from them guys and picking from those guys brains, I feel like they can help me take my game to another level.”
(Did you speak with Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain much since they’ve got here?) – “Yeah. This offseason I did. I came up here in the building and spoke to those guys.”
(What’s your reaction to the amount of money the franchise spent this year on guys? What are the demands now on you guys?) – “To win. (laughter)”
(You mentioned keeping the defense intact. How important is it to have both the back end secured and also get that pass rush, DE Emmanuel Ogbah coming back and for the two sides to work in unison?) – “Like I said, we’ve got to finish off what we started on the defensive side. We’ve been making plays and getting stuff done for the team. We’ve got to continue doing that, add more pieces to it and hopefully cause more trouble out there on defense.”
(You talked about getting your hammies right with all of the speed on the other side of the ball. How can having speed and skill players and a better offense make you guys better during practice on the defensive side of the ball?) – “It helps out a lot. It goes hand in hand. Them guys putting points up, or us getting them the ball, or us putting points up and they are helping us out. It all works hand in hand. We’re just excited to have people like that and new guys coming in to help us out. Our main focus is just winning.”
(What does it do for the team as a viable place where people will want to come down to the Dolphins?) – “I feel like we set that example this offseason. When we put those pieces together and we start winning, a lot of free agents and a lot of people will want to come here.”
(It’s rare for an organization to re-do a deal with four years left on it, then re-do a deal again with three years left on it. What does that say to you about how you feel the organization feels about you?) – “I feel like they believe in me and they trust me. Like you said, it hasn’t been done. This is the first time it’s been done. It depends on what kind of player it is. Stuff gets done. That’s what I feel like.”
(You mentioned coming from Texas a while ago. What does it mean to you when you look back on where you started to where you are now?) – “The crazy part is stuff hasn’t really hit me yet. With that being said, just coming from Texas and everything that I’ve been through, it’s been a long journey. I’m excited about everything that has been coming my way, the blessings that have been coming my way. I just want to continue growing, continue being a good father and continue putting good energy out there in the world.”
(When the deal got done and you heard the numbers come in and something you agree on, was it a sigh of relief? What was your first reaction?) – “It was a sigh of relief for real. When that deal came, I was happy. But I don’t get complacent with the stuff that I see, so my main thing was let’s go back to work. (laughter)”
(You’ve been through a lot here – the good, the bad, 2019. What now, moving forward and the 2022 Dolphins? It should be really big expectations.) – “I wouldn’t put the expectations out like that. I feel like I don’t want to set the whole team up for failure if we don’t reach those expectations. I feel like we’ve got to continue getting better on both sides. Winning games, that’s the main thing we want to do. I feel like just keep getting better on each side.”
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(Are you happy, surprised, stunned that it all came together at the last minute the way it did??) – “Yeah. I’m very happy. Like I’ve told you guys during the season for the past two years, I’ve always looked at myself being here long term and I’m glad we made it happen.”
(Had you thought for a time after Drew Rosenhaus and the team talked for months and months on and off – was there a time at any point where you thought it would be doubtful that you would be back?) – “I wouldn’t say I thought it was doubtful. I felt like we had a chance to make something work. For them to come like that, it showed that they believed in me and they wanted me here too as well.”
(What’s it like from a player’s perspective watching how this offseason has unfolded? … It seems like the NFL is almost becoming the new NBA.) – “I’ll say for us, I was glad we took care of our own. But yeah, it’s a lot of money. It’s starting to feel like there’s not really a cap space. (laughter) That’s how it feels. I’m glad we were able to take care of players and everyone was taken care of.”
(Why did you want to stay in Miami? Can you cite specific reasons? And did much of the defensive staff staying intact with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark – did that reinforce the decision more for you to want to be here?) – “For sure. I love the city of Miami and I always view Miami as my second home. I also wanted to be here for my brothers. We started something special two years ago and I want to keep building on that. It definitely helped with the coaching staff still retaining the defensive side of the ball too.”
(What’s it mean to you that not only the coaching staff, but the defense has all the players back? They kept everything intact.) – “Yeah, like I said, they’re taking care of their own. They believe in us. We did something special and we want to keep on building off of that. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
(How much better should the defense be considering everybody is back and the coaches are back?) – “We should be as good as we want to be. We’ve got a lot of guys coming back, a lot of guys in key spots. We’ve just got to take that one step and get better.”
(What do you want to work on in your game this offseason?) – “Just overall, after a season, I go back and watch film of myself and see what I struggle with. Doing better either on double teams, taking on double teams, rushing the passer better, even though I’m good at that, but I’ve got to improve on that. You can always get better year to year.”
(Can you take us through that Monday morning? The first day of free agency shortly before free agency started, your deal became known. Do you remember what that Monday morning was like? Was Drew Rosenhaus calling you and saying, ‘Hey, they raised the offer by this amount?’) – “So that morning of, I was supposed to go work out but Drew advised me, ‘Alright, chill. Hold on because I’m going to need you on the phone.’ I kind of just stayed in my living room. Talked to my folks. Talked to my parents. Just patiently waiting and then Drew called me and gave me the details of it. He was like, ‘We might have an offer here and there. What do you think? What do you think?’ After they gave me the offer, I hung up on Drew, I called my mom, called my dad and said, ‘Hey, what do you guys think?’ They said, ‘Well it’s you! You’re the one that got the deal, what do you think?’ I said, ‘I’m excited and I want to be here. You know I’ve always wanted to be here. You guys know I view Miami as my second home.’ It meant a lot to me and my family that I was able to sign back with the Dolphins.”
(CB Xavien Howard talked about how the energy in the building feels a little different with everyone being back and a new head coach. How would you describe the vibe and the energy?) – “It’s just different. You can tell. You guys don’t really walk in the locker room but it’s just different. A lot of guys are happy to be back. Everybody is just happy to see each other again. It’s only been like two months but it felt like forever. We’re just glad to be back working again.”
(How much of that is attributed to what you see they’ve been doing on the offensive side of the ball? I know you’re happy about your defensive guys.) – “I’m excited. I played with Tyreek (Hill) in Kansas City so I’m excited to have him here. He’s definitely a speedster. Like ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) said, he’s got to work on his hamstrings and I’ve got to work on my pass rush getting back there fast enough so they can’t have time.”
(Have you ever gone against T Terron Armstead?) – “No, I never went against him but I’m looking forward to going against him.”
(You talked about there being an energy in the locker room. Does that come from the guys who have been added? The coaching staff? What makes it so electric?) – “I would say it’s both. The guys who are coming back from a two-year season so – retaining the same guys, that’s what makes us real good and also the coaching staff. Coach (Mike) McDaniel brings a different type of energy into the program so we’re excited about that too.”
(It’s rare to see almost an entire defense come back – everyone but LB Vince Biegel and CB Justin Coleman at the moment. How much does that chemistry, continuity help a defense? Obviously, Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer is going to add some new things but how much does that continuity help?) – “It helps because we all know each other’s games and it’s not like a new guy. You know what the guy can do next to you, the guy besides you. It definitely helps the defense and we’ve just got to take that one step getting better because we already know what each other can do and what can we do better now.”
(You said a different type of energy. Can you elaborate a little bit on that? How is it different?) – “I would say it’s more fun. Honestly, everybody is just excited to be back. We haven’t really gotten out there like that except just workouts and stuff. Everybody is really excited, the whole locker room really. to build off of last season because we finished strong. We’re trying to start strong on a fast note, too.”
(What did you know about Head Coach Mike McDaniel before you met him and what were your initial impressions upon meeting him?) – “I didn’t know a lot about him but he’s definitely unique. A good players coach. He knows, he understands the game. He’s very smart, I will say that. He knows what he wants to do with the offense.”
(Everybody in this division has to get by Buffalo. They added LB Von Miller, obviously signed WR Stefon Diggs to a big extension today. Do you feel like on paper, you guys have closed the gap with them and how important is it for the best players, leaders of this team, to finally get past them after seven losses in a row?) – “We have to step up as leaders of the team. We’ve got to step up, we’ve got to do our best to help this team win games. That’s why we’re paid to come back and do it. We’ve got to get the offense better, they’ve got to get us better and to go against an opponent like the Bills, it’s going to be a challenge but we should be able to get that done.”
(What sense do you get about how similar or different the scheme will be with the change with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Brian Flores leaving?) – “I mean, I’m not really sure how different it will be but like I said, we all know the system. Definitely Josh is going to have some new wrinkles to the system but we’ll see when he puts it out.”
(You talked about continuity on defense, how important is that from the aspect of complementing each other? Like your pass rush means picks in the secondary with CB Xavien Howard and such or their coverage leading to you being able to get to the quarterback.) – “It goes hand and hand. I know if I get there fast enough, I know ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is going to be back there waiting for the ball to come out. The faster I get back there, the faster I put stress on the quarterback so it gives ‘X’ a chance to get that pick. It works hand and hand.”
(Outside of WR Tyreek Hill, of the dozen or so acquisitions this offseason, was there one that made you go, ‘Hm that’s exciting?’ What’s the next one?) – “I like (Terron) Armstead. I like the tackle Armstead. That force on offense, that dawg, we needed that and I’m glad he’s part of the team now.”
(What can you do to help LB Jaelan Phillips take that step to becoming the player that he wants to be?) – “We’ve just got to keep working together. Jaelan is a smart kid. He knows what he wants to do. I know the first year, it felt like a lot of things were moving too fast. The second year, he’s going to settle down and I’m looking forward to seeing him succeed in his second year.”
(Did you buy anything for yourself? Your family? For us, the media?) – “(laughter) No, I didn’t buy nothing crazy yet. I bought a crib, I will say that. I bought a house. But nah, nothing crazy. Nothing I’ve thought about yet.”
(Does the house have a swimming pool?) – “Oh, of course. It’s got to have the pool.”
(Are there any unique elements like a zoo indoors? Or just some random, quirky thing?) – “(laughter) Nah, it’s not. I’m not a big flashy guy. I just need something nice, real spacious that’s kind of just what I wanted.”
(Has DT Christian Wilkins hit you up yet? Because you know he’s cheap. Has he hit you up for anything?) – “(laughter) Yeah, he just told me I’m hosting the first d-line dinner. That’s kind of what he said but I’m glad to do it.”
