What Xavien Howard’s Rejection Says About Bengals
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals worked out two free agents on Monday night. The first one, running back Leonard Fournette, was not offered a contract. The second one, cornerback Xavien Howard, was offered a contract and a chance to reunite with Lou Anarumo, who was his defensive backs coach in Miami in 2016 and 2017. However, the four-time Pro Bowler reportedly threw Cincy’s offer right back in the Bengals’ face.
Absolutely wild to me that a deal couldn't get done with an unemployed Xavien Howard. My fears about the Bengals cornerback room from last summer continue to haunt me after Week 10 😅 @CinBengalsTalk pic.twitter.com/NZ1Tbghoke
— Andrew Fo 𝕏 Miller (@AndrewFoxMiller) November 11, 2024
It’s a surprising revelation for a cornerback who openly said he doesn’t need a team to empty their pockets, especially if they were a contender.
“I’d rather take a pay cut to go to a team that’s going to go further in the playoffs,” Howard told “The OGs” Podcast when discussing his future as a free agent. “I’ve got my money and stuff like that. I’m to the point, how much money do you really need? My goal is always to win a Super Bowl. Don’t let the money get in the way of winning a Super Bowl. Some people get paid, and some people win a Super Bowl. Some people do both. You do both, you’re different. I want to be different, but I want to win a Super Bowl now. I’ve already [been] paid, but now [a Super Bowl is] what I’m looking forward to.”
Howard’s rejection is yet another brutal reality check for an organization that consistently drops the ball on contract negotiations. Jessie Bates and D.J. Reader have both departed and are both starting on winning teams, with the latter being one of the best safeties in the NFL. The Bengals could not agree to extensions with Ja’Marr Chase or Trey Hendrickson before (or during) this season, and their monster years have only caused their price tags to shoot up.
Now, it seems the front office has dropped the ball yet again with the former All-Pro. It’s not like Howard was unwilling to play with the organization; he booked a flight to CVG, worked out for the team, performed well, and the Bengals entered the contract negotiation phase… before their old ways did them in. For a team whose CB1, Cam Taylor-Britt, has experienced a major regression in 2024, bringing in a veteran who not only has experience playing at the highest level, but openly stated he’d be willing to take a pay cut, should have been a slam dunk on a six-foot rim.
Only Howard knows why he didn’t accept, but the most likely conclusion is that Cincinnati — once again — got cheap on a player who isn’t Joe Burrow. For a pass defense whose PFF coverage grade (57.7) ranks sixth-worst in the NFL in 2024, in addition to being among the ten worst teams in the league in terms of passing yards against (2,202), passing TDs allowed (17), and expected points against (-60.82), the front office should have been chomping at the bit for a player with Howard’s resume.
They were. They just weren’t ready to pay for it.
The front office has shown time and time again that their extreme couponing team-building strategy makes bringing in and retaining premium talent difficult. When you’re looking to cut costs anywhere you can, why would anyone who has a choice want to take part in it? What does it say when you manage to insult someone who got out a megaphone to say “I AM WILLING TO TAKE A PAY CUT”? The Bengals have dropped the ball yet again.
Frustration continues to mount in the Bengals’ fan base, as they watch elite performances from Burrow go to waste because of a struggling secondary. Cincinnati had an opportunity to at least address their severely underperforming defense, but an equally severely underperforming front office (in all likelihood) let it go to waste.
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