It was a rough 2023 season for linebacker Darien Butler. He had carved out a role with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and played in 15 games.
Unfortunately, he suffered ACL and meniscus injuries, which caused him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. The Raiders considered bringing him back this year but he failed a physical in July and that led to his release.
However, he's healthy now and hoping to get another chance, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Former #Raiders LB Darien Butler, who missed the 2023 season with ACL and meniscus injuries, has been medically cleared and will start working out for teams soon, per his agent @thelawmvp. An undrafted free agent in 2022, Butler appeared in 15 games as a rookie. pic.twitter.com/PKtgQVJelx
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 24, 2024
Now that he's medically cleared to play, there should be teams interested in him. He played well as a rookie for the Raiders and is still just 24 years old.
Las Vegas may be the most logical place for him to play. Butler played college ball at Arizona State under Antonio Pierce and worked with each other at the NFL level with the Raiders. The team has dealt with injuries at the position and could consider Butler for a practice squad spot.
Las Vegas may also prefer to focus on the linebackers that they have now considering they do have a lot of young players at the position right now. If anybody is going to know if Butler is worth a roster spot, it'll be Pierce.