GLENDALE, Ariz. — The biggest moment in Malcolm Butler’s career happened right at State Farm Stadium, when the rookie cornerback stepped in front of a Seattle Seahawks receiver at the goal line, intercepted a Russell Wilson pass, and secured a stunning Super Bowl 49 victory for the New England Patriots.
That play was about 6 1/2 years ago.

Butler, entering his first season with the Arizona Cardinals, is finding out that’s an eternity in NFL time.

“I’m getting a little older in the NFL now, so I’m talking to guys who were born in 2000,” Butler said, grinning. “One of my teammates told me he was at the (school) bus stop, talking about the score. I’m getting up there.”

Butler and the Cardinals hope there’s more magic left for the cornerback in the desert. The 31-year-old veteran, who signed a one-year deal with Arizona, is one of several 30-somethings the team is relying on this season, including receiver A.J. Green (33), defensive end J.J. Watt (32), linebacker Chandler Jones (31) and center Rodney Hudson (32).

“I’ve still got a chip on my shoulder, I’m still healthy,” Butler said. “I’ve only had one injury in my career. I still want more, I’m still hungry, I still want to learn, I still want to make plays, I still want to play football.”

The Cardinals hope Butler’s presence can help offset the loss of three-time All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson, who was a mainstay in Arizona for a decade before signing with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason.

Advertisement

Butler will wear Peterson’s No. 21 this season, which is the number he’s had throughout his career. He thought about taking No. 7 but third-year cornerback Byron Murphy wanted it.

“I got permission from the head man of the team and he said it was OK,” Butler said. “That’s no disrespect to Patrick Peterson. I’m not trying to replace him. I’m Malcolm Butler.”

Butler’s been a solid NFL player since his career-defining play for the Patriots, making the Pro Bowl in 2015. He spent the past three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he had four interceptions and made 100 tackles in 2020.

Cornerback is notoriously tough on players who have reached 30 years old. Any loss of athleticism, especially against the league’s elite receivers, is exploited in a hurry. But third-year coach Kliff Kingsbury said he’s confident Butler has good years remaining.

“Watching him play last year, just the physical nature of his game, it’s something we wanted to get and add to our team,” Kingsbury said. “Thought he played at a high level last year and he’s continued to do so in camp.”

Kingsbury has good memories of Butler’s Super Bowl interception as well. He was in the stands in Glendale, Arizona, cheering for his friend Danny Amendola, who was a receiver on that Patriots team.

Advertisement

“We went crazy in the stands, we couldn’t believe it,” Kingsbury said. “We thought it was over and then he makes that play. The whole place goes nuts.”

Kingsbury said Butler’s not living off the Super Bowl glory and doesn’t say much about the iconic moment.

“He’s pretty humble, he doesn’t say much,” Kingsbury said. “He’s a playmaker. We’ve seen him make multiple plays in practice, he always seems to be around the ball and he brings a lot of experience to this team.”

SEAHAWKS: Aldon Smith’s time with the Seattle Seahawks was short as the team released the embattled defensive end.

Smith was reinstated by the NFL in the spring of 2020 after missing four seasons due to off-field issues. He appeared in 16 games for Dallas last season and had five sacks along with 48 tackles.

He signed a one-year deal with Seattle in April but he was arrested two days later on a second-degree battery charge in St. Bernard Parish near New Orleans. He is scheduled to be arraigned later this month.

Advertisement

Even though Smith missed the Seahawks’ offseason program, Coach Pete Carroll said early in training camp that the team was ready to support Smith.

Smith was the 11th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 draft. He set an NFL record with 33 1/2 sacks in his first two seasons before his career spiraled out of control due to multiple drunken-driving charges. He was also arrested in 2018 on a domestic violence charge in San Francisco.

The Seahawks also announced they signed linebacker Lakiem Williams.

RAVENS: Rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman will miss “a number of weeks” with a soft-tissue injury in his leg that he suffered during Tuesday’s practice, Coach John Harbaugh said.

Bateman, who was selected with the 27th overall pick in April’s NFL draft out of the University of Minnesota, was injured during a one-on-one drill with cornerback Marcus Peters. He made a cut before pulling up and falling to the turf. He got helped up to his feet, clutched his core area and limped into the building. He did not return.

COLTS: GM Chris Ballard and Coach Frank Reich have been given contract extensions through 2026.

Advertisement

Ballard was hired Jan. 29, 2017 and is entering his 21st NFL season. In his four seasons overseeing football operations, Indianapolis has two double-digit win records (11-5 in 2020 and 10-6 in 2018) and playoff appearances in those years. Ballard was selected the 2018 NFL top executive by the Professional Football Writers of America.

Reich enters his fourth season as head coach. Reich has led the Colts to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons.

PANTHERS: The Carolina Panthers signed Josh Bynes to provide veteran depth at linebacker with projected starter Denzel Perryman expected to miss some time battling an undisclosed injury.

Bynes, 31, started all 16 games last season for the Cincinnati Bengals and had 99 tackles, one fumble recovery and a sack.

Comments are not available on this story.