The Indianapolis Colts are in a quarterback battle between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. However, that’s not stopping them from going out to the market and strengthen their team. They just signed a former All Pro to make an impact on their secondary.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Colts signed a one-year, $5 million deal with cornerback Xavien Howard. The 32-year-old last played NFL football in 2023, but he is coming back to the league to remind everyone of his talents.
Howard played eight years for the Dolphins where he was All Pro once and a four-time Pro Bowler. Nobody has more interceptions since 2017 than Xavien Howard, who amassed 29 picks from that season on. This is crazy to think about since Howard hasn’t played since 2023.
Xavien Howard is facing a familiar foe on Week 1
The NFL is an ironic sports league. If you take a look at the Colts schedule, Xavien Howard will go against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, on Week 1. Now, whether Howard is in football shape or not remains to be seen, but if he plays, he’s going against his former team and a stacked receiving corp.
Not playing for two years is hard enough, but if you’re facing lightning-fast wideouts like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, it’s even harder. The Colts are yet to decide if their quarterback on that game will be Anthony Richardson or newly-arrived Daniel Jones.
Howard is not the only new face on the Colts’ secondary
As said above, the Colts knew that this unit needed some reinforcements. Hence, they went out and signed a three-year deal to bring Charvarius Ward to the team. He was a key part of the San Francisco 49ers, acquiring a Pro Bowl selection in 2023.
Indianapolis also signed free safety Cam Bynum. Playing for the Vikings, Bynum started 51 out of 51 games in the last three seasons. He racked up seven interceptions and 25 defended passes. He also added up 314 total tackles. Bynum, Ward and Howard will be tasked to make this secondary one of the best units in the NFL.