As former Tennessee Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler continues to look for a new home after retiring briefly retiring in 2021, his next stop is with another former team, the New England Patriots.
According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, Butler is set to have a tryout with the Patriots on Monday morning. This is the second team to give the veteran cornerback a look, as he recently visited with the Houston Texans.
Butler’s four-year track record with the Patriots is an interesting one. He was the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, but was inexplicably benched for Super Bowl LII, a game the Pats lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
While the reasoning for Butler’s benching has never been totally confirmed, a book by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham revealed that his benching was a result of the cornerback getting into a heated exchange at practice with then-defensive coordinator Matt Patricia over Butler’s lack of effort.
Whatever the case may be, it appears that’s water under the bridge now if Butler is willing to try out for his former team. Also of note, Patricia is back in New England, serving as a senior football advisor.
Butler spent three seasons with the Titans after signing a five-year, $62.5 million deal in 2018. He was a cap casualty in 2021 and went on to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, but retired before the season for reasons unknown.
