Account
Report: Malcolm Butler Released by Titans, Move Saves $10.2M in 2021 Cap Space
March 9, 2021
Malcolm Butler's time with the Tennessee Titans is reportedly over after three seasons.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the AFC South team released the cornerback Tuesday. Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the move will save $10.2 million in salary-cap space for the upcoming season.
Tennessee agreed to a five-year deal with Butler in March 2018, and he was considered one of the better cornerbacks in the league at the time.
He played his first four seasons with the New England Patriots and made a Pro Bowl in his second year in the league. While he was famously benched during Super Bowl LII, he helped the Patriots win two Super Bowl titles as one of the leaders of the secondary.
While Butler never made a Pro Bowl and took something of a step back during his time with the Titans, he was still a solid defensive playmaker. He appeared in all 16 games in 2018 and again in 2020 while tallying nine interceptions in three years.
Tennessee also made the playoffs in two of his three seasons with the team.
The West Alabama product finished the 2020 campaign with a career-best 100 tackles, four interceptions and 14 passes defended while earning a formidable player grade of 71.6 from Pro Football Focus.
However, he is 31 years old and may not have much time left in his prime.
The Titans decided moving on from Butler and saving a significant amount in cap space was a better move than bringing him back to help anchor the secondary for another year.