Bengals to Host All-Pro CB for Free Agent Visit
The Cincinnati Bengals are set to host former Miami Dolphins All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard on a free agent visit.
The Cincinnati Bengals are hosting free agent cornerback Xavien Howard for a visit on Monday, according to a report by Mike Garafalo of NFL Network. Howard is the top remaining veteran free agent at the position, and Cincinnati’s defense has been struggling all season.
The Bengals have used a combination of Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill and DJ Turner II at outside cornerback this season. Hill suffered a torn ACL last month and will miss the rest of the season. Turner had started each of the last five games following the injury.
Hill, Taylor-Britt and Turner are all former high-round Cincinnati draft picks, but it hasn’t been going very well. The Bengals enter Week 11 ranked 29th in scoring defense, 25th in yards, 25th in passing yards and 21st in rushing yards.
Howard, 31, was released by the Miami Dolphins in March and has not signed with another team. He signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Dolphins in 2022 and had been set to earn $18.5 million in 2024. The move came partially as the Dolphins looked to sure up their salary cap situation.
Howard also got into off-the-field trouble this past offseason. He was sued in June, alleging that he sent revenge porn to the adolescent son of a former sexual partner.
On the field, Howard has been a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro led the NFL in interceptions in 2018 and 2020, but his play has been in decline as of late. Howard led the league with 10 interceptions in 2020. He had five in 2021, but just one in each of the last two seasons. In 2023, he also did not force or recover a fumble and didn’t have a sack, contributing almost no splash plays to a Miami defense that finished 23rd in yards and 22nd in points allowed.
The Steelers will be watching Cincinnati’s interest, as Pittsburgh has an upcoming trip to the Queen City scheduled for Dec. 1. Pittsburgh had been considered a potential landing spot for Howard this offseason, before the Steelers traded for Donte Jackson.
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