The Kansas City Chiefs' injuries in 2024 were perhaps the most significant storyline of the season. Rashee Rice, Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco, and more dealt with ailments that hurt the team's long-term chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Obviously, they still made it to the big game, but fell just short and injuries are still a significant topic during the preseason.
Kansas City has seen summer injuries to Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, and Kristian Fulton. The cornerback room is dwindling, and one controversial former All-Pro just signed with an AFC team in an unexpected move on Monday.
Colts are signing former #Dolphins All-Pro CB Xavien Howard, per agent @davidcanter pic.twitter.com/78AnIF2Sk4
— A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) August 18, 2025
Colts Sign Former Controversial Former All-Pro CB Xavien Howard amid Chiefs Injuries
As reported by AtoZ Sports with agent David Canter as the source, the Indianapolis Colts are signing cornerback Xavien Howard on Monday. This is a complicated deal and one that needs to be treated with care based on hefty accusations throughout his career.
Howard is currently engaged in a lawsuit regarding sending explicit photographs to a teenager (a former romantic partner's son), and has previously faced accusations of domestic violence and knowingly transmitting a sexually transmitted disease, both of which were dismissed in court.
The Chiefs have a history of bringing in players who have faced allegations to varying degrees, ranging from Frank Clark to Tyreek Hill to Charles Omenihu to Matt Araiza. Every case is different and should be approached with significant caution.
That doesn't mean that Kansas City missed an opportunity here, though it's interesting that the Colts felt comfortable signing Howard based on organizational due diligence, which has admittedly failed NFL franchises previously in certain cases.
Howard sat out the entire 2024 season while facing these allegations. He's a four-time Pro Bowler but at 32 years old, he likely won't play a major role in Indianapolis' defense.
From a Chiefs perspective, there may be other cornerbacks still available who could help alleviate these injuries such as Emmanuel Moseley, former Kansas City standout Kendall Fuller, and James Bradberry. There are ways to address the sudden need, though the franchise hopes that the injured defensive backs can get on the field and make this a moot concern.
Ex-Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is taking a risk, and we'll see how the pending lawsuit plays out. Fans shouldn't be upset about a missed chance but should rather focus their attention on hoping the current players on the roster get healthy as quickly as possible.