Miami Dolphins Xavien Howard could be looking for a raise

The Miami Dolphins may have a problem with Xavien Howard.

DEC Management announced on Twitter that Xavien Howard had joined their agency but now we have to wonder if that will be a problem for the Miami Dolphins.

Most NFL players don’t switch agents in the middle of a contract unless they want to position themselves to get that contract ripped up and reworked. With Howard now joining DEC Management, it is unclear if that is what Howard is doing or if he believes the agency can get him more national media attention.

Howard is coming off his best career as a pro and his name is in the middle of NFL Defensive MVP talk. If he gets the award, it would be an incredible honor and could get him a lot more money.

This brings us to the question of what it means for the Dolphins. On the surface, it may mean nothing at all or it could mean that Howard will be asking Miami for a better contract. Maybe they convert some of the numbers to guarantees or signing bonuses. At worse, Howard could be asking for a complete makeover.

In any situation, the Dolphins have leverage because Howard still has several years left on his contract that he signed only two seasons ago. Howard just finished year two of a five year deal. If the Dolphins wanted to play hardball, they very well could.

One option, however, could be a solution that many fans wouldn’t want to see. Howard could get himself traded to another team willing to redo his contract. Maybe this is what he is hoping for.

What we do know for certain is that nothing with Howard this off-season is certain. We simply don’t know what his change of agents means for him this year. Howard is the best defender on the Dolphins roster but would it surprise you if he was gone in 2021? Mildly, yes.