The Tennessee Titans successfully freed up a ton of cap space on Tuesday after it was reported the team will release cornerback Malcolm Butler.
The 31-year-old was set to make $14.2 million in 2021, but cutting him will save Tennessee $10.2 million immediately, leaving a dead money hit of $4 million.
With the releases of Butler and wide receiver Adam Humphries, the Titans have shed a total of $14.6 million towards their cap space so far this offseason, and we expect more moves to come.
Humphries, Butler and recently-traded offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, who is now with the Miami Dolphins, combine for $13 million in dead money in 2021, a “small” price to pay for much-needed cap space.
Prior to the 2020 campaign, cutting Butler seemed like a no-brainer after his first two seasons weren’t great and his 2019 season ended early due to injury. However, the veteran had his best season in Tennessee in 2020, making the decision a bit harder.
The more preferable option would have been to keep him on a restructured deal that saw him making less money, as he’s not worth $14 million in my humble opinion. It isn’t clear if that was discussed, though.
Nevertheless, that’s a nice chunk of change for general manager Jon Robinson to work with and it will no doubt help in the Titans’ quest to significantly bolster their pass rush.
