The Patriots released cornerback Malcolm Butler from the team’s injured reserve list on Thursday.
Butler, the hero of New England’s Super Bowl XLIX victory over Seattle, was placed on IR after he reportedly suffered a hip injury in the Patriots’ preseason opener against the Giants on Aug. 11, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. In that game, Butler recovered a fumble and played 23 snaps.
Prior to his latest preseason action with New England, Butler had not played in a game since Jan. 3, 2021. He had abruptly retired ahead of the ’21 season after signing with the Cardinals that March, saying he wasn’t “prepared mentally” to play at the time. However, he came out of retirement to return to the Patriots earlier this year.
Butler, who entered the NFL as a rookie free agent out of West Alabama, won two Super Bowls with New England. He is most remembered for his goal-line, game-saving interception with only seconds left on the clock against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. In his third Super Bowl appearance (LII) against the Eagles, Butler did not play as he was surprisingly benched by Patriots coach Bill Belichick. New England lost that game and Butler left in the offseason to play for the Titans for three seasons.
The 32-year-old has played in 100 games and recorded 405 total tackles, three sacks, 17 interceptions with two returned for touchdowns, 82 passes deflections, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his career.
