It’s been quiet on the Malcolm Butler front, but the veteran cornerback did get a look from an NFL team earlier today. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Butler worked out for the Dolphins.
[RELATED: Patriots Release CB Malcolm Butler From IR]
The Dolphins recently lost cornerback Nik Needham for the season, and Byron Jones has yet to hit the practice field after starting the season on PUP. Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen also missed Sunday’s game with injuries, and safety Brandon Jones went down during Sunday’s win over the Steelers.
Butler would be a logical target considering he played under Dolphins DC Josh Boyer when the two were in New England. The cornerback joined the Patriots for a second stint with the organization this past offseason, but after mostly working with the backups during the preseason, he landed on IR before final roster cuts, meaning he wouldn’t see the field for New England in 2021. The Patriots ended up cutting Butler from IR, allowing him to sign with another team during the 2022 campaign.
The 32-year-old hasn’t taken the field since the 2020 season, when he had a career-high 100 tackles in 16 starts for the Titans. After earning his walking papers from Tennessee, he caught on with the Cardinals for the 2021 campaign, but right before the start of the regular season, he announced that he was retiring from the NFL for personal reasons.
The Dolphins also auditioned Jamal Perry, who was ultimately signed to the practice squad. It’s uncertain whether the addition of Perry would rule out a Butler signing. Wide receivers Alex Bachman, Calvin Jackson, and Dede Westbrook also worked out for Miami today, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).