In Sunday's Miami Dolphins victory over the Carolina Panthers, star cornerback Xavien Howard exited the game early due to a groin injury. On Monday, it is being reported via Cameron Wolfe on X that Howard is day-to-day with the injury, indicating that it is not nearly as severe as some had feared. Last season, Howard was impacted significantly due to an ongoing groin injury, so to see it flare up again was understandably concerning for the Dolphins organization and fans alike.

This news comes alongside that of running back Chris Brooks, who also exited Sunday's game with an injury. Brooks is currently week-to-week.

Xavien Howard may still miss next week's critical matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The Dolphins secondary will face the herculean challenge of stopping the Eagles' superstar duo in Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown, who have both been having their way with NFL defenses all season.

When asked about Howard's likelihood of playing on Sunday, especially with fellow star CB Jalen Ramsey still not back (although he does seem hopeful to return from injury earlier than expected), head coach Mike McDaniel said “We'll see how X calms down and responds to treatment”.

The Dolphins, in spite of their historic high-powered offense, have faced defensive struggles all season. They currently rank bottom 10 in the league in defensive efficiency, which has not posed too much of a problem due to the offense's success.

However, as teams begin to enter mid-season form and the Dolphins prepare to face tougher contenders ahead (i.e the Eagles), they are going to need all the help they can get. Hopefully Howard recovers quickly and reassumes his position at the helm of this defense.