Cornerback Malcolm Butler reached an injury settlement with the New England Patriots, who released the 32-year-old from season-ending injured reserve on Thursday.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Butler returned to the Patriots in the offseason after a one-year retirement and three-year stint with the Tennessee Titans.
Butler signed a two-year contract worth up to $9 million with the Patriots in March.
The Patriots also put cornerback Joejuan Williams on IR and waived punter Jake Julien to get their roster down to 85 players.
Butler started the Patriots' preseason opener against the New York Giants last Thursday, playing 23 snaps. It's unclear when Butler suffered the injury or what the injury is. He had been running with the second-string defense during camp.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Butler's most memorable play of his career was his interception of a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLIX to cap the 2014 season. That play sealed the Patriots' 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Butler played his first four seasons with the Patriots (2014-17) and the next three with the Titans (2018-20) before signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals in March 2021. He retired from the NFL in August for personal reasons, with the Cardinals releasing him from the reserve/retired list.
Butler posted 406 tackles, 17 interceptions and five forced fumbles in 100 career games (84 starts) with the Patriots and Titans. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015.
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