5 Miami Dolphins players that should be playing their final season with Miami

No one wants to hear it but at some point, Xavien Howard is no longer going to be a member of the Miami Dolphins.

Ideally, Xavien Howard will retire as a Miami Dolphins legend but money is a big issue with players playing an entire career on one team these days. For Howard, 2023 could potentially be his last, but we all hope it isn't.

Howard was banged up last year and while he fought to play through the injuries, he was definitely not himself. The addition of Jalen Ramsey and Cam Smith should make his life a lot easier in 2023 and hopefully give him a shot at returning to his real Pro Bowl form.

Howard admitted that he didn't deserve the Pro Bowl nod last year and he would be right he has a shot to earn it this year but if he has setbacks, the Dolphins could opt to move on.

The big question is why? For starters, it would take a big fall for Howard to be written out of the Dolphins plans but we have seen NFL stars completely fall apart from one year to the next.

Howard will make $25 million, almost $26 in 2024. If he is designated a post June-1st release, Miami will save $18 million in cap space but they will still eat $7.4 million. Howard's contract is big and there is no hiding it and it makes it nearly impossible to trade him if Miami wanted to.

For Miami, the contract doesn't ease after 2024 either. In 2025 he will cost Miami $22 million and an outright pre-June first release would still cost Miami $15 million in dead money.

Will next year be his final season in Miami? No. I don't think it will but it could be given his salary and the decline in play. It just isn't something to summarily wave off but honestly, the chance of Howard going is pretty slim at best.