Patriots’ Malcolm Butler Released from IR with Injury Settlement

Veteran cornerback Malcolm Butler's second stint in New England has come to an end.

Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reported the New England Patriots released Butler with an injury settlement on Thursday. The 32-year-old, who re-signed with the team in March, was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 16 for an undisclosed reason.

Butler began his NFL career with New England in 2014 as an undrafted free agent. As a rookie, he was the unlikely hero of Super Bowl XLIX, securing a late interception in the end zone to seal the victory for the Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks.

It didn't take long for Butler to develop into one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015, and he earned second-team All-Pro honors the following season. He was also part of New England's Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Butler signed a five-year deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2018. After being limited to nine games in 2019, he bounced back in a big way in 2020 with a career-high 100 total tackles and four interceptions in 16 games.

The Titans released Butler prior to the 2021 season, and he signed with the Arizona Cardinals shortly thereafter. But he never saw the field last season, choosing to retire last August due to personal reasons. He ended his retirement after less than a year when he re-signed with the Patriots in March.

If Butler is healthy and chooses to continue his NFL career, there's a chance a team in need of help at cornerback will give him a look.