On Monday evening, news came down that former Tennessee Titans and current Arizona Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler was mulling retirement while going through a “personal situation.”
Well, it appears he has indeed retired, as the Cardinals have placed Butler on the Reserve/Retired list, according to the league’s transactions wire.
Butler spent three seasons with the Titans and was the team’s best cornerback in 2020. He was cut earlier this offseason by Tennessee with his salary being a little too rich for his overall performance, and with the Titans desperately needing cap space.
The veteran corner latched on with Arizona after signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal. He was set to make his Cardinals debut against the Titans in Week 1.
It still isn’t clear what Butler is going through, but we wish him the best with whatever it is. It’s unfortunate he had to hang up his cleats early, as the 31-year-old showed he still had plenty of gas left in the tank last season.
#AZCardinals placed Malcolm Butler on the reserve/retired list today, according to the transaction wire teams received.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 31, 2021
Obviously the loss of Butler will greatly impact the Cardinals’ defense in Week 1 against the Titans, and for the rest of the season. Tennessee and Arizona will meet in the regular season opener on Sept. 12 at Nissan Stadium.
