Howard was dealing with a foot sprain, which forced him to miss the Dolphins' final two games, including Saturday's wild-card loss to the Chiefs, Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Howard won't need surgery to repair his foot and should be ready for offseason activities. Beasley notes that the Baylor product doesn't seem inclined to take a pay cut, which could make him a candidate to be cut this spring.