The Las Vegas Raiders are a bit down in the dumps after a win in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears fell just out of their grasp. Now, the team is 1-3 and riding a three-game losing streak when they travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday in Week 5.
Indianapolis has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 NFL season, as the Daniel Jones-led team is 3-1 through the first quarter of the season. They are an incredibly formidable opponent, and they could easily be 4-0 if not for a self-inflicted wound against the Los Angeles Rams last week.
This will certainly be a tough matchup for the Raiders, as the Colts have them outmatched at nearly every position on the field. But Las Vegas' outlook may have changed just days before the game in a way that truly no one could have expected.
Colts CB Xavien Howard suddenly retires before Week 5 game vs Raiders
On Wednesday afternoon, veteran Colts cornerback Xavien Howard was reported to be a non-participant in practice. This is not entirely unexpected, as experienced or aging players commonly take days off to rest in the thick of the season.
But a few hours later, Indianapolis reported that Howard had actually retired, ending his NFL career. Obviously, he will not be suiting up against the Raiders this Sunday, which means the Colts are down one of their starting cornerbacks.
While it is shocking to see a former Pro Bowl and All-Pro player hang up his cleats at the snap of his fingers, this is not necessarily a bad thing for a Las Vegas offense whose wide receivers caught just six total passes for 43 yards last week.
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Especially for young receivers like Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr., who primarily line up on the outside and would have been covered by Howard, this is actually a good thing. Howard was terrible this year, as his 36.1 Pro Football Focus grade ranked 156th out of 164 qualifying cornerbacks.
One could argue that it may have been better for these players to face off against Howard, who had already relinquished 16 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns this season. But if he was starting, it begs the question of just how bad the next player in line is for the Colts.
Unfortunately, injuries are a natural part of the game, and they plague every team in a different way each week. But sudden retirements like this don't happen every day, and it is nice for the Raiders to be on the benefitting side of such a bizarre pregame snafu for once.