The Titans are losing a key piece of their secondary, as the team is placing cornerback Malcolm Butler on injured reserve today, they announced in a release. To replace him on the roster they’re re-signing cornerback Tye Smith, who was waived over the weekend.
Butler was an every down player for the Titans, so this is a big loss. He broke his wrist during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, and will now miss the rest of the season unless Tennessee is making a playoff run and he’s able to come back in eight weeks. Butler, the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, signed a massive five-year $61MM contract with the Titans last offseason. His first year with Tennessee was a bit of a disappointment, but he had been better so far this season.
Through nine games, Butler had 32 tackles, nine passes defended, and a pair of interceptions. The Titans had been rejuvenated by the insertion of Ryan Tannehill under center, but their momentum has now been blunted by the loss to Carolina, and losing Butler certainly won’t help an inconsistent defense. Smith was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth-round back in 2015, and has been with the Titans for the past three seasons.