Former four-time NFL Pro Bowler and 2020 First-Team All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard shockingly announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Indianapolis Colt was having a tough start to the 2025 season and struggled mightily against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. On Instagram, he made it clear he was retiring to spend more time with his family, which he said he hasn’t been able to do while playing football.
While the Colts will have to make some changes, and backups will need to take initiative in Howard’s absence, this isn’t a season-altering loss for them.
Howard missed the entire 2024 season from a lingering foot injury he suffered in 2023 while he was with the Miami Dolphins. The Colts signed him as a free agent in August 2025 thinking he could help out their struggling cornerback group that didn’t perform well in the 2024 season, they ranked in the bottom 10 in opponent passer rating.
Howard has had some difficult assignments but put on a vintage performance in the Colts’ Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins. He helped hold wide receiver Tyreek Hill to just 40 receiving yards. Since then, he has unraveled, and Indianapolis’ opponents have put a target on Howard. Against the Broncos, the receivers Howard was on were targeted repeatedly. He struggled to keep up; at one point in the game, he was called for three penalties in the span of five plays. It was the same story in Week 3, but in Week 4’s game in Los Angeles, he hit an all-time low. Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had a career game. Nacua finished with 170 passing yards and a touchdown, which earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Although Howard had been struggling, his coaches weren’t ready to give up on him. Prior to the retirement announcement, Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said it was the entire defense that needed to improve, not just Howard. With the season only going into Week 5, there was plenty of time for him to get the rust off and revert to his old self, which is why his decision was so surprising. It’s easy for fans and media to speculate if he really did retire to spend time with his family, but for the Colts, they will now look ahead to their matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
To fill Howard’s shoes, the Colts have a couple options.
The first option would be to look for a potential trade candidate. Cleveland Browns corner Greg Newsome II has been brought up in talks for good reason, as he’s been a key contributor on one of the NFL’s top defenses.
If the Colts decide to avoid trades and retain their current players, Mekhi Blackmon or rookie Johnathan Edwards would be set to start this weekend. Blackmon is the current front runner to be the starter because of his experience, and if he does, he’ll line up opposite veteran Charvarius Ward.
Blackmon was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, where he played 15 games and started in three. He recorded 41 tackles and had one interception in his rookie campaign, but in his sophomore year, he tore his ACL during training camp and had to miss the entire season. Coming off an injury, there will likely be some rust in Blackmon’s game, but he’s appeared in 138 defensive snaps so far this season and has only allowed six receptions.
The Colts made improving the cornerback position a major point of interest this offseason. While the Howard acquisition didn’t pay off, their depth means his retirement shouldn’t be an issue, and it’ll give one of their younger players enough playtime to develop. Blackmon will receive heavy targets throughout the season, but with Ward covering the other side of the field and the Colts defense improving this year as a whole, they’ll look to stack more wins together and push for the playoffs.
