Malcolm Butler never got the opportunity to play in a regular-season game during his brief second stint with the New England Patriots.
But there’s still a chance the veteran cornerback could see the field this season.
Butler, who the Patriots released on Aug. 25 with an injury settlement just nine days after putting him on injured reserve, worked out for the Miami Dolphins among other players on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Butler signed with the Patriots back in March and appeared in New England’s preseason opener, even recovering a fumble in the contest but reportedly injured his hip in the game. The 32-year-old was coming off a one-year retirement after spending four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
With the Patriots releasing Butler, it seemed the hero of Super Bowl XLIX would be out of football for a second consecutive campaign. But the Dolphins bringing him in for a workout does open up the possibility of Butler playing again.
Miami actually seems like a logical fit for Butler. The Dolphins have a host of former Patriots on their defense that he played with in New England, including Trey Flowers, Elandon Roberts and Eric Rowe. Butler is also very familiar with Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who served as the Patriots defensive backs coach from 2012-18.
The Dolphins could take a flier on Butler to see if he has anything left in the tank to help a defense that has allowed 23.6 points per game.
And if Butler does end up signing on with Miami, he could make a return to Foxboro to face his former team on Jan. 1.
