Malcolm Butler Returning To Patriots, Reportedly Signs Two-Year Deal Worth $9 Million
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Four years after his Patriots career came to an unceremonious and embarrassing end, Malcolm Butler is back in New England. The Patriots signed Butler to a two-year deal on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The deal is reportedly worth upwards of $9 million, according to Schefter.
Butler, 32, returns after a brief one-year retirement and three seasons with the Tennessee Titans. The last time he was in a Patriots uniform, he didn't actually play, as Butler was famously benched in New England's Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, seeing the field for just one special teams snap.
He signed a big-money contract with the Titans that following offseason, but always spoke fondly of the Patriots and Bill Belichick, who also spoke respectfully about Butler's impact to the franchise. Butler was, of course, the savior of New England's Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks, when he picked off Russell Wilson at the goal line in the final minute to secure New England's then-fourth Super Bowl title.
Now he's back to try to write a much happier ending to his Patriots career. New England was in need of some corner depth following the free agent departure of J.C. Jackson, and Butler, despite not playing in 2021, could find himself back as the secondary's No. 1 corner. He tied his career-high with four interceptions with the Titans in 2020, and has 17 interceptions over his seven-year NFL career.
Eight of those picks came during Butler's four seasons with the Patriots, whom he joined in 2014 as an undrafted free agent. Butler earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2015 after he took over as New England's top corner. He won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, in 2014 and 2016, and has two playoff interceptions in his career -- one each for the Patriots and the Titans.
Now we'll see what he has after taking a year off. He at least knows New England's defensive system, and is one of those guys who never takes a play off. At the very least, he'll give the Patriots another body on the depth chart as they sort out their secondary.
