Colts cornerback Xavien Howard ends comeback amid poor performance through 1st 4 games

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Cornerback Xavien Howard is ending his comeback bid after only four games with the Indianapolis Colts.

Team officials announced after practice Wednesday that the 32-year-old, two-time league interceptions champion had been placed on the reserve/retired list. The move comes three days after he gave up seven receptions on 10 passes for 112 yards and one TD in a 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Howard had started each of Indy’s first four games but coach Shane Steichen acknowledged before practice that might change this week when the Colts (3-1) host the Las Vegas Raiders (1-3).

“We’ll see,” Steichen said.

Howard had only 11 tackles and one fumble recovery – against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, in a season-opening 33-8 win. But his play over the next three weeks got progressively worse. He had not played in a game between the end of the 2023 season and last month.

The Colts signed the four-time Pro Bowler in mid-August because their secondary had been depleted by injuries. They were hoping being reunited with new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Howard’s position coach in Miami when he first came into the league, would help him round quickly into form.

Instead, Howard struggled as the Colts injury situation only got worse.

“I knew a team was going to attack me early on in the season. I’ve been off a little minute, so I knew guys want to see if I still can play and stuff like that,” Howard said after another rough outing in Week 2. “And just on this side, just taking accountability of just – I’ve just got to do my job and work on my technique.”

Indy brought back safety Trey Washington to take Howard’s spot on the 53-man roster.

Howard was a 2020 All-Pro when he led the league with 10 interceptions just two years after picking off a league-high seven passes.

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Howard started 103 of his 104 games, logging 342 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, 95 passes defensed and 29 interceptions – two of which he returned for scores. Howard forced four fumbles and had six fumbles recoveries.

The Baylor alum was a second-round draft pick, No. 38 overall, in 2016.

“I think again, it’s not just one guy,” Anarumo said when asked about Howard on Tuesday. “I think if you put the microscope on one person, they can – everybody can always finish maybe better here or there. I think he had some really – he had some plays where he did finish well – others that he can do better.”

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