The man who snagged one of the most important interceptions in NFL history could be hanging up his cleats for good.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler is going through a “personal situation” that has kept him from the team facility, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo. The Cardinals placed Butler on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, the day when NFL teams had to cut down their rosters to 53 players.
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By placing Butler on the reserve/retired list, the Cardinals reserve their rights to him while using his roster spot for another active player. The move does not mean that Butler is officially done in the NFL.
Butler signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million in March after he was released by the Tennessee Titans.
Butler became a household name in his rookie season with the New England Patriots when he intercepted a pass from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line to steal Super Bowl XLIX for the Patriots.
He was not a one-hit wonder, though. Butler made the Pro Bowl the following season while starting all 16 games for the Patriots. He made 16 starts again in 2016 as New England went on to win Super Bowl LI.
San Francisco 49ers
Butler’s next Super Bowl memory remains a mystery. The cornerback sat the entirety of Super Bowl LII as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33, and Bill Belichick has still never disclosed why Butler was stuck on the bench.
That was Butler’s last game in a Patriots uniform. He joined the Titans and played three seasons there before heading to Arizona.
For his career, Butler has 17 interceptions and two touchdowns across seven seasons.