Jordan Howard Waived by Dolphins After Being Inactive vs. Chargers

The Miami Dolphins released veteran running back Jordan Howard on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Howard, 26, was inactive for Sunday's game while Salvon Ahmed stepped into the starting lineup and thrived, rushing 21 times for 85 yards and a touchdown and catching one pass for 19 yards. 

Howard already found himself below Myles Gaskin on the depth chart, but with Gaskin and Matt Breida both injured this week, Howard's absence on Sunday in favor of Ahmed, Patrick Laird, Malcolm Perry and DeAndre Washington made it pretty clear that his time in Miami was ending. 

Howard had a shot as the starter in Week 9 and didn't make the most of it, rushing 10 times for 19 yards. That left the door open for Ahmed, who went from the practice squad to taking the starting spot from Howard, Miami's two-year, $10 million signing this offseason.

"The way you perform in practice will go a long way with how much playing time you get," head coach Brian Flores told reporters regarding Ahmed. "It's not like we walked in Wednesday and said, 'It's yours.' He practiced well Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We talked to all the backs—everyone at every position—and said, 'Hey, this is what the plan is.'"

And the plan no longer includes Howard. 

"A lot of respect for him and respect for the way he worked," Flores told reporters Monday. "No ill will, just thought it was best for both parties."

Howard never made an impact in Miami, rushing 28 times for 33 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 900 or more yards in each of his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears, but last year with the Philadelphia Eagles rushed for just 525 yards and and six touchdowns in 10 games, as ascending star Miles Sanders took on a bigger role with the Eagles. 

For running back needy teams, he's an interesting between-the-tackles option, though his inability to make a mark in Miami may give some teams pause.