Xavien Howard Hits IR With Knee Injury

Dolphins corner back Xavien Howard has been moved to injured reserve with a knee injury.

According to Ian Rapoport, an MRI showed no ACL or MCL damage. The Dolphins are being as careful as possible with Howard, as he signed a 5-year deal north of $70 million in the offseason.

Howard was one of the most talked about pieces of the trade deadline. Miami is tanking, and they have already traded away plenty of players this season. Howard would have been, perhaps, the best player on the trade block from their roster.

Moving him to the injured reserve all but confirms that he will stay put in South Beach. They clearly want to build around him in the future, and are conserving him.

Even though he is not being traded, sitting him for fear of injury can also contribute to the masterful tank job. Losing your best corner until the last game of the season will hamstring that defense immensely. Making the team worse to ensure the top pick, while not losing (maybe) your best player is a smart move.

The Miami Dolphins play the New York Jets on Sunday, November 3.

Featured image courtesy of Brynn Anderson/Associated Press