Malcolm Butler

After nine seasons in the NFL, Butler announced his retirement, saying “I’m satisfied with my career.” Originally an undrafted free agent, Butler joined the Patriots in 2014, spending four seasons with them. He won two Super Bowls, was named to a Pro Bowl in 2015, and earned second team All-Pro honors in 2016. Butler spent three seasons with the Titans before spending brief offseason with the Cardinals in 2021 and Patriots again in 2022. He is best known for infamously intercepting Seahawks QB Russell Wilson at the one-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX to seal the victory for the Patriots. Butler will go down in Patriots history for that win, along with his four productive seasons of play in New England.

Butler is a former Pro Bowler who is best known for his Super Bowl-winning interception off Russell Wilson in Super Bowl XLIX. The 33-year-old vet hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2020 and was released by the Patriots last August with an injury settlement. It will be interesting to see if the former Pro Bowler is able to latch on with the Falcons before the start of the season.

There was handwringing about the Patriots' lack of cornerback depth when Butler landed on injured reserve with an undisclosed issue nine days ago, but this is a strong indication he was already no longer in their plans. The 32-year-old is now a free agent who has appeared in just 25 games since the end of the 2018 season, zero of which came last year. Butler could be at the end of the line after his semi-retirement in 2021. 

That will end the season for each of them -- at least in a Patriots uniform. Butler was attempting a comeback after spending 2021 out of football, and he looked like a frontrunner for the job in OTAs but eventually lost time to Terrance Mitchell and Jack Jones. Williams had played minimal snaps in his first three seasons and showed up in run defense with his big 6-foot-4 frame, but hadn't posted a PFF coverage grade above 61.6 since 2019.