Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is having a good week.
On Tuesday, the second-year pro was named to his first career Pro Bowl. On Wednesday, he returned to the practice field after sitting out the Dolphins' past two games with a knee injury.
In speaking with reporters, Howard denied a previous report that he had his surgery on the knee, according to the Miami Herald:
Howard confirmed Wednesday that he injured his meniscus while picking off Josh Allen in the Bills game. However, he insisted that he did not undergo arthroscopic surgery, disputing an NFL Network report.
"I feel great," Howard said. "First day back out there. It feels great. Just moving on, see how at the end of the week how it feels."
The Dolphins went 1-1 in the two games Howard missed, defeating the Patriots on one of the best plays of the entire season (you likely remember the double lateral that resulted in a 69-yard Kenyan Drake touchdown with no time left on the clock) and then losing to the Vikings. They are not yet eliminated from playoff contention, but they'll have to pass the Ravens, Colts, and Titans in order to nab the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
Miami's final two games of the year are against the Jaguars and Bills, but it's likely that they have to win both and get some help from the Chargers, Browns, Giants, and Washington in order to actually get that spot. At least with Howard getting back to practice and potentially playing in those games, they'll have one of their best players back on the field.
