Howard, 31, was released by the Dolphins in March and did not sign with a team during training camp. The veteran corner struggled in coverage last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 51.9 while allowing 44 receptions for 502 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals are hoping Howard could provide a boost to a pass defense that’s allowing the 11th-most passing yards per game, but it’s hard to imagine him as anything more than added depth given his age and struggles in recent seasons.

This report comes shortly after it was announced the Dolphins would be releasing Howard at the start of the new league year. The veteran corner will be free to sign with any team and could be eyeing the up-and-coming Texans, who are fresh off a 10-7 season and appearance in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. Howard will be 31 at the start of next season and could make for a strong pairing with cornerback Derek Stingley, who totaled five interceptions last season while earning a PFF coverage grade of 85.3. As Bien-Aime notes in his report, Howard is from Houston, which could serve as a driving factor for him to join the Texans should an offer arise.

The Dolphins selected Howard in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The soon-to-be 31-year-old corner has spent his entire career with the Dolphins, earning four Pro Bowl nods and one First-Team All-Pro nomination over that span. Injuries limited Howard to 13 games in 2023, and he managed just one interception while earning a PFF coverage grade of 51.9 — the lowest mark of his career. The ball-hawking corner has twice led the league in interceptions and should have a relatively strong market despite his age. The decision to cut Howard before June 1st will result in a dead cap hit of just over $21 million for the Dolphins.

Howard also missed Week 18 with the foot injury and has been unable to get on the field at all this week for practice. In addition to Howard being out, the Dolphins also ruled both safeties DeShon Elliott and Jevon Holland as questionable for the game. While that’s obviously better than being ruled out, neither player has been able to practice this week, which makes their status for Saturday night truly up in the air. As a result, the Dolphins could be without three of their four starters in the secondary while heading into Arrowhead to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.