Miami Dolphins star cornerback Xavien Howard won't face a suspension or any other NFL discipline in relation to a late December domestic battery arrest due to an alleged incident with his fiancée, a league spokesman said Wednesday.
Howard was cleared of legal discipline in this matter in early February when Broward County prosecutors dropped the charge, but he still potentially faced league discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy at that time. Now, Howard faces no discipline on both accounts and he's eligible to suit up for Miami in Week 1 of the 2020 season.
Howard's fiancée signed an affidavit of non-prosecution and told prosecutors that she didn't want to proceed with the case and did not fear for her safety going forward, per the Broward County state's attorney's office. Because there were no other witnesses, prosecutors felt they couldn't proceed with the case without testimony from her.
Howard, 26, has been at the Dolphins facility in recent weeks rehabbing a knee injury that limited him to just four games in 2019. He's expected to form one of the NFL's best cornerback duos with big-money free-agent signing Byron Jones.
Howard made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after tying for the NFL lead in interceptions. He signed a five-year, $75.25 million extension in May 2019.