With Xavien Howard and the Miami Dolphins agreeing to a new contract, what is the value of his contract, and what is the impact on the Dolphins’ salary cap? Let’s take a look at the structure of Howard’s contract, his salary cap impact, and what option the Dolphins have with Howard in the future.
Xavien Howard’s contract details and bonuses
During the 2019 offseason, Howard signed a five-year contract extension. The extension was worth $75.25 million in total and contained $27.2 million in full guarantees. Howard’s contract contained a $7 million signing bonus and a $7 million roster bonus for 2019. The remaining guarantees were in the form of his 2019 and 2020 salaries.
Howard’s 2021 salary became fully guaranteed on March 19, 2021. During 2020, $2.5 million of that 2021 salary was guaranteed, leaving the remaining $9.6 million to become guaranteed in March. Howard’s 2022 salary is guaranteed for injury; there are $25,000 workout bonuses in 2020 and 2021, as well as $100,000 in workout bonuses for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Howard’s contract was restructured ahead of the 2021 season before being completely re-done during the 2022 offseason. The new deal added two years and $50.691 million for a new money AAV of $25.35 million.
The addition of the two years on this new contract means the Dolphins now have Howard under contract until the end of the 2026 season. He would be set to become a free agent in 2027 at the age of 34.
What impact does Howard’s deal have on the Dolphins’ salary cap?
In 2022, Howard was due to count for $16.4 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap. That cap number was made up of a $2.66 million prorated signing bonus with $12.975 million in base salary and a $727,941 workout bonus.
However, the new deal likely alters those numbers significantly. Howard’s cap number of over $16 million could be reduced by as much as $11 million. The structure of the new deal will be fascinating to see in terms of what it means for Howard’s long-term future in Miami.