Indianapolis Colts All-Pro Suddenly Retires
Veteran cornerback Xavien Howard joined the Indianapolis Colts in August when they really needed secondary help. He started all four games for the Colts this year, but on Wednesday he decided to call it quits and retire from the NFL.
Howard provided a statement to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald explaining his decision.
“Throughout my career I’ve always played football for the love of the sport,” Howard said. “I enjoyed everything that came with being a part of the NFL, it was my passion for the game that drove me. I love and appreciate the Miami Dolphins for drafting me and giving me the chance to play pro football. I cannot thank the Indianapolis Colts enough for letting me continue to live out my dream but my dream has now changed.
“I’ve been getting closer to God and asking that He directs my path. I am a man of faith and I believe wholeheartedly that He doesn’t make mistakes. He has led me to ending my career. I am now putting God and my priorities first. When I was away from the game in 2024, I fell in love with taking my kids to school, doing activities with them and watching them grow up. Up to that point I had always put my family after football. I’m no longer willing to do so. So today I am retiring from the National Football League.”
Xavien Howard says he wants to spend more time with his kids
Howard was a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins back in 2016 and was first-team All Pro in 2020 and second-team All Pro in 2018. Outside of winning a championship, Howard has certainly had an incredible career.
“My purpose has been fulfilled in this sport, but my kids are more important to me than football,” Howard said. “I’ve had a hell of a career, and even though it’s ending in a unique way, I’m cool with that because for once I’m putting my family first and I’m proud and excited about that decision.”
Howard was released by the Dolphins following the 2023 season in which he suffered a foot injury. He wasn’t on a roster in 2024 and didn’t get back into the NFL until he signed with Indianapolis.
Xavien Howard had a rough day on Sunday against the Rams
While Howard has had an exemplary NFL career, he was struggling this season with the Colts. According to Pro Football Focus, his 34.2 overall grade was dead last among 102 qualifying corners. Not only that, opposing quarterbacks had a 139.2 passer rating when throwing his way.
“We will evaluate everyone every game,” Colts’ defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said this week. “Certainly, X is a player on the team, so he’s certainly going to get evaluated.
“Credit to the Rams and their receivers and Matthew. Stafford is one of the better quarterbacks that have been around and certainly worthy of Hall of Fame consideration at some point. But yeah, not only X, but everybody will always be evaluated each week based on performance…it’s not just one guy.
“We’ll always take a look at those things and move forward accordingly.”
Even though Howard wasn’t playing very well, it’s still someone else the Colts will have to replace in the secondary.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown Takes ‘Full Accountability’ for Social Media Crash Out
Maybe the Earth really is healing.
Philadelphia Eagles superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown told the media he takes “full accountability” for a postgame social media post following the Eagles’ 31-25 road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.
The post seemed to indicate, with little interpretation, that Brown was ready to walk away from the Eagles after only having 2 receptions for 7 yards on 9 targets.
It’s the second consecutive year Brown has taken his frustration with not getting the ball to a public forum and second year in a row he’s aired those frustrations during an Eagles winning streak — the defending Super Bowl champions have started the season 4-0 headed into a Week 5 home game against the Denver Broncos.
“Obviously, Sunday after the game I let my frustrations boil over … That’s on me,” Brown said on September 30. “I take full accountability on that … My message on Twitter wasn’t directed at anyone in the building … Like I said, I take full accountability.”
While it’s almost impossible to believe Brown’s tweet wasn’t directed at anyone on the Eagles — players, coaching staff or executives — that’s probably the best apology any of them can hope for at this point.
Brown’s crash out came after the Eagles didn’t complete a single pass in the second half and one week after he had 6 receptions for 109 yards and 1 touchdown in a 33-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw,” the post read. “Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
Future Hall of Famer Defends Brown From Critics
One Eagles legend came to Brown’s defense when it seemed like the rest of the world was against him.
“He’s being vocal and he’s telling everybody ‘I’m not (expletive) happy I’m not getting the ball right now,’ ” former Eagles center Jason Kelce said on the New Heights podcast on October 1. “Are there better ways to do this than tweeting it out? Potentially. We shouldn’t be just getting the ball to make him happy, we should be getting him the ball because he’s a (expletive) baller.”
Kelce is right about one thing — Brown is a baller and the results of getting him the ball are almost impossible to disagree with.
Brown Expert at Drawing Wrong Type of Attention
Brown signed a 3-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles before the 2024 season that kept him among the NFL’s highest paid wide receiver. He’s also been an NFL All-Pro in each of the 3 seasons he’s been in Philadelphia after a trade with the Tennessee Titans before the 2022 season.
The only thing Brown has seemed better at than catching passes the last few years is drawing attention to himself off the field in one way or another — usually something weird or negative.
In 2024, Brown called out quarterback Jalen Hurts after he had just 4 receptions for 43 yards in a Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers — Philadelphia’s ninth straight victory in a 10-game winning streak.
It later turned out Hurts had been playing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand.
In 2023, Brown and Hurts had what appeared to be an argument over the same issues.
