Bengals host veteran free agent Xavien Howard amid search for help

The Cincinnati Bengals are desperate for help amid a season trending in the wrong direction. They still have hope for this year, given theyw ere buyers at the trade deadline rather than sellers. And the Bengals have full belief they can still be a playoff team. 

But it’s clear they need more than who’s already on the roster. So they’ve hosted Xavien Howard in hopes of adding reinforcements to their secondary. Howard would be a great veteran piece to add, but is it too little too late? The Bengals defense has been the one thing holding them back from being a better team this season. 

While they’ve had some challenges offensively in the run game, they’ve terrorized teams in the passing game — Joe Burrow is one of the passing leaders this season and Ja’Marr Chase is the top receiver. 

But it's the Bengals secondary that has been a major liability in 2024 — they've had one of the worst pass defenses in the league. A player like Howard could patch together some of the holes in the secondary and at least keep the Bengals within arms' reach of a playoff spot. 

Bengals looking to veteran free agent to beef up secondary amid late playoff push

The Bengals currently have a passing defense ranked outside the top 20. They average 26.2 points against, according to Pro Football Reference, and opposing offenses are averaging 220 passing yards per game. 

While one player isn’t necessarily going to solve all of their passing game issues, it could certainly help. And Howard has been a top corner in the NFL at one point in his career. So his veteran leadership and experience will be a welcomed addition. 

Although Howard wasn’t that destructive the past two seasons with Miami, he had four seasons with multiple interceptions, including a career high 10 back in 2020. The following year, he had five interceptions. 

This year, the Bengals have just six interceptions as a team, and no player has more than one. If nothing more, Howard can bring leadership to a youthful secondary. At best, he plays like he did his first six seasons with Miami and becomes an instant impact.