The Miami Dolphins will place cornerback Xavien Howard on injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury in Sunday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
The injury is not to Howard’s ACL or MCL, according to Rapoport, who added “the team will be cautious as he is part of their future.”
The Dolphins (0-7) have been outscored by 161 points amid a massive rebuild in which Howard could be a key part after this season. They signed him to a five-year, $76.5 million extension in May, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Howard, 26, has one interception and 17 tackles in five games this season.
Howard, a second-round pick out of Baylor in 2016, earned Pro Bowl honors last season, when he tied for the league lead with seven interceptions despite missing the final four games to injury. He had four interceptions in 2017 and has 35 career pass breakups in 40 games (39 starts).