A veteran NFL player has decided to abruptly retire during the middle of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts veteran defensive back Xavien Howard has been having a tough season. Howard, 32, has been getting picked on in recent weeks. He was part of a Colts defense that was torched by Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. But the Colts have made it clear that they are standing behind Howard.
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“The combination of all of it,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said on Tuesday, via the Indy Star. “You’re playing against an elite passing game with two elite receivers and a quarterback, and at some point, rust or no rust, we’ve got to make sure we’re out there and guarding the guys we’re tasked to guard. We’ve all got to do a better job. Not just X, but me.”
Howard, a four-time NFL Pro Bowler, didn’t play in 2024. He signed with the Colts for the 2025 season. Howard played solid in Week 1, but allowed 16 catches on 20 targets over the past three weeks. He admitted that he wasn’t playing up to his ability.
“Not to my ability,” Howard said after the game.
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 12: An Indianapolis Colts helmet on the sidelines. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Howard is apparently done now, though.
On Wednesday, the veteran NFL defensive back officially retired. He has been placed on the reserve/retired list.
The Colts had previously said that they remained confident in Howard moving forward.
“We’ll evaluate everybody, every game,” Anarumo said. “X is a player on the team, so he’s certainly going to get evaluated. … Not only X, but everybody will always be evaluated each week, based on performance. We’ll always take a look at all those things and move forward accordingly.”
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The Colts, 3-1 on the year, will take on the Raiders in Week 5 – without Howard.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Oct 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.