On second thought, the Houston Texans don’t need Xavien Howard

The Houston Texans could use a little more depth at the cornerback position if we’re being honest. Desmond King and Myles Bryant are good additions, but not great. There’s Jeff Okudah, a draft signing if we’ve ever seen one, and of course the addition of rookie Kamari Lassiter, who is a relatively unknown commodity. We don’t know if these new additions will be good for the team, we have to find out.

So, wanting a more proven veteran to pair with Derek Stingley isn’t the worst idea, which is why we suggested the Texans sign Xavien Howard. The Houston native is a former All-Pro for the Miami Dolphins and had a lot of potential paired with someone like Stingley. It seemed like a viable option and one that really intrigued us.

That was until news came about him. At the beginning of June, rather wild accusations would be launched against Howard. According to ESPN and other media outlets, Howard sent a sexually explicit image to a teenager, with ESPN later adding:

“…Howard sent a teenager a sexually explicit photo of the teen’s mother because she refused to have an abortion, according to a new court filing.”

The report further claims that Howard engaged in various acts of revenge porn, which constitutes a crime in every state in the United States except Massachusetts and South Carolina. Massachusetts, however, is in the process of rectifying this situation.

The accusations are bad, and while they remain that way for now, it’s hard to ignore them when talking about which players to add to the team this season. There’s no reason to put yourself at the center of a brewing controversy if you’re a Texan.

Howard is now in the middle of a very ugly lawsuit, and one that would only distract from the Houston Texans’ 2024 season. This is a young team and they don’t need a huge distraction hanging over their head.

Howard will have his day in court, and depending on how that plays out, it will likely determine whether he has a future career in the NFL. The Texans don’t need to step into this situation by signing him.