The odds of the San Francisco 49ers going after New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler reduced when they signed Richard Sherman on Saturday. However, if you were hoping for a dream scenario of Butler paired with Sherman on the outside of the 49ers defense, you are out of luck.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed on-air that Butler is signing a five-year deal worth more than $61 million that includes $30 million guaranteed with the Tennessee Titans.
Butler made headlines following the Patriots' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. While Butler played in 97.8 percent of the team's regular-season snaps and every postseason snap, he played just one snap, which was on special teams, during the Super Bowl.
Following the game, Butler told ESPN's Mike Reiss, "They gave up on me. [Expletive]. It is what it is."
Butler joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has won two Super Bowls with the team in his four seasons. Over the past three seasons, he has started all but one game for New England and registered 190 combined tackles, two sacks, 44 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles during that span. Butler's 2015 performance made him a Pro Bowl selection.
Of course, 49ers fans remember Butler's goal-line interception of the Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to seal Super Bowl XLIX during his rookie season in 2014.