Arizona Cardinals: Malcolm Butler contemplating retirement

The Arizona Cardinals did a great job improving the roster in multiple areas. The one area that did not receive great attention to detail, the secondary. Malcolm Butler was brought in as a free agent to man the outside/boundary corner position.

Things can change in the blink of an eye. NFL Network’s insider, Mike Garafolo reported on Total Access Butler is contemplating retirement. Malcolm Butler has been dealing with some personal issues that have kept him away from the team’s facility for about a week. The clip is below.

If this happens, the cornerback position becomes even less reliable. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph would be forced to rely on his rookie cornerbacks sooner than planned. Granted, Marco Wilson has looked the part and has played well. He is a rookie and in a division with talented passing offenses.

The former Super Bowl champion is 31-years old. In the locker room, his presence may be the bigger loss. Butler would have provided a mentor and leader with ample playoff experience.

The next question to be answered is, will the Cardinals make a move for help in the secondary? There are plenty of capable free-agent options to fill the void Butler will leave. Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury and General Manager Steve Kiem will have some decisions to make if Butler indeed retires.