Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard joined the Indianapolis Colts just in time to make his return to the NFL with a thorough demolition of his old squad. And a day after a 33-8 win that included a fumble recovery for Howard, he rubbed a little salt in the wound with a parting shot at his former teammate, Tua Tagovailoa.
“We knew the guy, he gets the ball out pretty quick,” Howard said of the Dolphins quarterback, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “And once we take away his first read, I feel like it’s panic mode after that. And it showed yesterday. We took away his first read and he was trying to get rid of the ball real quick.”
Tagovailoa finished with just 114 passing yards in the loss, threw two interceptions, and fumbled.
“I just think as an offense, we got to get going,” Tagovailoa told reporters after the game. “Once you get into that groove, once you get into that rhythm – I mean, that’s when things start happening for us. But we couldn’t find it today.”
Earlier in the week, Howard was much more complimentary of Tagovailoa when he met with reporters days prior to the game.
🎥 Xavien Howard on facing Miami Dolphins’ offense with Tua Tagovailoa under center: “That’s a system for that guy. The stats show what he can do in that offense when he’s healthy. He plays good ball, great ball.” (@LockedOnColts) #PhinsUppic.twitter.com/fSSzgEB3mV
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 3, 2025
Howard was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. He spent eight seasons with the team and earned four Pro Bowl nods and All-Pro honors in 2020 when he led the NFL in interceptions. Miami cut ties with Howard during the 2024 offseason and he spent last season as a free agent before signing with the Colts last month.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Colts’ Xavien Howard takes shot at ex-Dolphins teammate Tua Tagovailoa
