The Indianapolis Colts have had a good start to the 2025 season, but that doesn't mean every player has lived up to their end of the bargain, and All-Pro corner Xavien Howard was reportedly one of those.
On Wednesday, Ian Rapoport reported that the Colts placed Howard on the reserve/retired list, meaning his NFL career is over.
The Indystar.com states that Howard decided to retire from the NFL, and after four games this season, in which he grabbed a fumble recovery in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, but aside from that, Howard has reportedly struggled in the Colts' secondary, which many think is the reason he has decided to hang up the cleats.
Howard enjoyed a nine-year career, eight of which were with the Miami Dolphins. He had 29 interceptions from 104 games along with 342 combined tackles.
In a corresponding move, the Colts activated safety Trey Washington from the practice squad, per Mike Chappell.
More: Colts legend retires after 3 All-Pro nods at age 30
Colts the surprise packet of 2025
Sitting at 3-1 with the NFL's fourth-highest scoring offense and the 12th-best defense, the Colts have something cooking early this season with Daniel Jones.
Wins over the Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and the Tennessee Titans before the 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Colts have been playing some good football in the opening month.
Running back Jonathan Taylor already has 414 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Jones has thrown for 1,078 yards. Before Week 4, Jones had not thrown a turnover; however, he now has two.
Not thought of as a team capable of amounting to anything in 2025, the Daniel Jones magic has been sprinkled on this team, and with the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals up next, the Colts could position themselves well for a playoff push.
Something that was once thought to be impossible a month ago.
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