Xavien Howard may not have played football in 2024, but he never wavered in his belief that he would be back on an NFL field sooner rather than later.
The cornerback, who sustained a foot injury early in the 2023 season, was not picked up by another team after he was released by the Miami Dolphins at the end of the season. He had opportunities to sign with other teams in 2024, he said, but nothing felt like the correct fit.
"I did have opportunities, I just feel like it wasn't the right situation for me," Howard said Wednesday. "So I gave it a shot, I'm like ok, I just can wait (until) next year and hopefully something will happen, and something ended up happening."
Howard, whose workouts and training never ceased over the last year, had been in touch with the Colts for a while – specifically, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who knew Howard from their shared time with the Dolphins. And when the Colts' cornerback room started getting hit with injury after injury, Howard got a phone call.
"Me and coach Lou got a great relationship, my first two years in the league he worked with me at the Miami Dolphins, so I've been in contact with him, and when I got the call I was ready to come," Howard said. "I'm familiar with him, he's familiar with me, he know my game and I can expect what he's gonna call. So I was just excited for the opportunity, just ready to come play."
Check out the best photos from Wednesday's Training Camp practice at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
CB B.J. Mayes #36
CB Charvarius Ward #7
CB Kenny Moore II #23
CB Alex Johnson #39
CB JuJu Brents #29
RB DJ Giddens #21
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
CB B.J. Mayes #36
RB Khalil Herbert #26
RB Nate Noel #41
QB Riley Leonard #15
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
WR Tyler Kahmann #43
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
C Wesley French #62 and C Mose Vavao #67
WR Coleman Owen #3
TE Mo Alie-Cox #81
TE Jelani Woods #80
CB JuJu Brents #29
TE Sean McKeon #49
CB Xavien Howard #37
CB Xavien Howard #37
QB Daniel Jones #17 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
CB JuJu Brents #29
QB Daniel Jones #17
CB B.J. Mayes #36
CB Charvarius Ward #7
CB JuJu Brents #29
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
G Dalton Tucker #68, G Matt Goncalves #71 and T Bernhard Raimann #79
LB Zaire Franklin #44 and CB Charvarius Ward #7
QB Daniel Jones #17
CB Charvarius Ward #7
TE Tyler Warren #84
WR Alec Pierce #14 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Alec Pierce #14 and CB Charvarius Ward #7
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
Lou Anarumo Defensive Coordinator, DE Kwity Paye #51 and DE Marcus Haynes #96
K Spencer Shrader #3
CB Jaylon Jones #40
DT Grover Stewart #90
WR Adonai Mitchell #10 and CB Alex Johnson #39
WR Alec Pierce #14
WR Alec Pierce #14 and CB JuJu Brents #29
LB Zaire Franklin #44
WR Alec Pierce #14
WR Landon Parker #8
G Matt Goncalves #71
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
S Rodney Thomas II #25
LB Zaire Franklin #44 and RB DJ Giddens #21
TE Tyler Warren #84
TE Drew Ogletree #85
DE JT Tuimoloau #91
G Quenton Nelson #56 and G Tanor Bortolini #60
G Quenton Nelson #56 and G Tanor Bortolini #60
CB Chris Lammons #38
CB Kenny Moore II #23
DT Tim Smith #93
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
S Trey Washington #41
DE JT Tuimoloau #91
S Trey Washington #41 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
S Camryn Bynum #0, S Trey Washington #41 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
TE Drew Ogletree #85
CB Duke Shelley #34 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
CB Duke Shelley #34 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
CB Jaylon Jones #40
QB Riley Leonard #15
CB Jaylon Jones #40, S Rodney Thomas II #25, S Camryn Bynum #0, S Trey Washington #41 and CB Alex Johnson #39
LB Zaire Franklin #44
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
G Matt Goncalves #71 and QB Daniel Jones #17
RB Jonathan Taylor #28 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
TE Drew Ogletree #85
TE Tyler Warren #84
WR Coleman Owen #3
TE Tyler Warren #84
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37 and C Wesley French #62
WR Alec Pierce #14
QB Riley Leonard #15
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
WR Alec Pierce #14
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
WR Alec Pierce #14
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Anthony Richardson #5
G Dalton Tucker #68
QB Anthony Richardson #5
T Jalen Travis #75
TE Jelani Woods #80
S Daniel Scott #36 and TE Jelani Woods #80
TE Drew Ogletree #85
S Daniel Scott #32 and TE Jelani Woods #80
G Josh Sills #65
S Daniel Scott #36 and TE Jelani Woods #80
QB Anthony Richardson #5
TE Drew Ogletree #85
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
S Rodney Thomas II #25
S Camryn Bynum #0 and S Trey Washington #41
S Trey Washington #41 and S Camryn Bynum #0
S Camryn Bynum #0 and S Trey Washington #41
CB Alex Johnson #39, S Trey Washington #41 and LB Austin Ajiake #58
CB Chris Lammons #38, S Trey Washington #41, LB Austin Ajiake #58 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
S Trey Washington #41
S Trey Washington #41 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
S Trey Washington #41 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
S Trey Washington #41
DE Laiatu Latu #97 and CB Kenny Moore II #23
QB Daniel Jones #17 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
Shane Steichen Head Coach
LB Cameron McGrone #59 and S Camryn Bynum #0
LB Cameron McGrone #59
S Camryn Bynum #0 and LB Cameron McGrone #59
CB Charvarius Ward #7 and LB Zaire Franklin #44
LB Cameron McGrone #59
CB Charvarius Ward #7
DE JT Tuimoloau #91
CB Kenny Moore II #23
LB Zaire Franklin #44
DT Devonta Davis #61
DE Kwity Paye #51
DE Kwity Paye #51
CB Charvarius Ward #7 and G Quenton Nelson #56
QB Anthony Richardson #5
DT Eric Johnson II #98
LB Zaire Franklin #44
DT DeForest Buckner #99
LB Cameron McGrone #59
WR Landon Parker #8
QB Anthony Richardson #5
S Trey Washington #41
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
CB Charvarius Ward #7
CB Charvarius Ward #7
S Camryn Bynum #0
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
S Camryn Bynum #0
QB Anthony Richardson #5
LB Joe Bachie #48
TE Tyler Warren #84
QB Daniel Jones #17
S Camryn Bynum #0, CB Alex Johnson #39 and Brent Jackson Defensive Quality Control
TE Tyler Warren #84
QB Riley Leonard #15
S Rodney Thomas II #25, CB Kenny Moore II #23, S Camryn Bynum #0, CB B.J. Mayes #36 and TE Sean McKeon #49
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
G Tanor Bortolini #60
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
S Rodney Thomas II #25
TE Tyler Warren #84
QB Daniel Jones #17
WR Ajou Ajou #9
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Daniel Jones #17
DE Kwity Paye #51
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DE Laiatu Latu #97
DT Neville Gallimore #92
DT Eric Johnson II #98
S Camryn Bynum #0
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
WR Adonai Mitchell #10 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
DE Samson Ebukam #52
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
CB JuJu Brents #29 and WR Alec Pierce #14
QB Riley Leonard #15
QB Daniel Jones #17
G Quenton Nelson #56
TE Will Mallory #86
S Camryn Bynum #0, S Rodney Thomas II #25 and LB Zaire Franklin #44
TE Will Mallory #86
G Quenton Nelson #56
WR Anthony Gould #6
CB Kenny Moore II #23
RB DJ Giddens #21
RB DJ Giddens #21
Shane Steichen Head Coach
TE Tyler Warren #84 and CB Duke Shelley #34
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DE Laiatu Latu #97 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
S Camryn Bynum #0, S Rodney Thomas II #25 and LB Zaire Franklin #44
DT Grover Stewart #90
G Quenton Nelson #56
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DE Laiatu Latu #97 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
DT Josh Tupou #69
LB Zaire Franklin #44
TE Tyler Warren #84
With eight years of NFL experience under his belt, and time playing under five different defensive coordinators, the 32-year-old brings a wealth of knowledge to the room. His experience playing under Anarumo means he has an increased level of familiarity with how Anarumo runs his defense. Now, the goal is to get him back into football shape and integrate him into the defense.
"The good thing with him is he's played a lot of football," Colts defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. "He's just gotta learn our language. He's probably played the same coverages, same defenses in the past. It's just, we may call it this, he called it ghat, so we just gotta get on the same page with him as to what we call things in our language. And he's doing extra to get himself ready to go. We're all working hard to get him ready."
"Obviously there's some rust," Henderson added. "He would echo that. But we're gonna knock that off daily and clean him up."
Howard is already listed as one of the Colts' starting cornerbacks on the unofficial depth chart ahead of the third preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend; Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore II are listed as the other two starters. And Howard has no doubts about being ready to play Week 1, which would put him out on the field against his former team.
"I've been talking to Lou for a little minute, so I already knew who was week one, and I've been preparing for it this offseason," Howard said. "And I'm ready to go."
While the Colts' secondary (especially the cornerback room) has had to deal with multiple injuries over the course of training camp, it is important to note that cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones returned to practice on Wednesday after both missing the majority of camp with hamstring injuries.
