The Miami Dolphins have placed cornerback Xavien Howard on the injured reserve list as a result of his knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The good news is that Howard's injury does not appear to be too severe, as it is not an ACL or MCL issue, but Rapoport notes that the rebuilding Dolphins want to be cautious with him, especially considering that they signed him to a five-year, $76.5 million contract extension back in May.

Through five games this season, Howard logged 17 tackles, an interception and four passes defended.

The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Baylor, was originally selected by Miami in the second round (38th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

He was limited to seven games during his rookie campaign due to a knee injury, finishing with 40 tackles, a forced fumble and six passes defended. The following year, Howard appeared in all 16 contests, posting 48 tackles, a sack, four interceptions, 13 passes defended and a defensive touchdown.

Howard then broke out in 2018, racking up 35 tackles, seven picks, a fumble recovery and 12 passes defended, making the Pro Bowl as a result.

The Dolphins fell to 0-7 with their loss to the Steelers, and even though the Cincinnati Bengals are 0-8, Miami is widely viewed as the worst team in the league.

The Dolphins have made just one playoff appearance since 2009, and going back even further than that, they have made the postseason just twice since 2002. Miami has not won a playoff game since the 2000-01 campaign.