Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; The Las Vegas Raiders shield logo at midfield at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders Retain DT Malcolm Butler

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Mar 26, 2025 7:20 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are making a commitment to keep their defensive front intact, and they re-signed Malcolm Butler on Wednesday.

Per Pro Football Talk, "Raiders defensive tackle Matthew Butler signed his exclusive rights free agent tender Wednesday, according to the NFL’s transactions report. Butler, 25, appeared in seven games with one start in 2024, seeing action on 101 defensive snaps and 27 on special teams. He totaled nine tackles. He spent part of the season on the practice squad before being signed to the active roster. The Raiders made Butler a fifth-round pick in 2022, and he played six games as a rookie and two in 2023. In his career, Butler has appeared in 15 games and recorded 15 tackles and half a sack."

According to Pro Football Network, an exclusive rights free agent is "a player with two or fewer accrued seasons and an expired contract."

"To accrue a season, a player must have been on a team’s roster for six or more regular-season games during that year," per PFN. "However, the player does not need to be active for games to accrue a season. Players on injured reserve and the physically unable to perform list also get credit toward an accrued season.

"Conversely, a player on a practice squad, non-football injury list, or the commissioner’s exempt list does not get credit for an accrued season if they are not on the roster for six or more games. Additionally, a player under contract must report to his team’s training camp on his mandatory reporting date to earn an accrued season."

To keep such a player, all a team has to do is extend a qualifying offer to the player and he will be unable to negotiate with other teams, per PFN.

"A qualifying offer is a one-year contract at the league minimum salary based on the player’s experience level," per PFN. "If an exclusive rights free agent is given a qualifying offer, he has no recourse other than to play for his current team. His only other option is not to play football.
If a team does not extend the qualifying offer, the player can sign with any team in the league, and his original team will receive no compensation. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer — or if that offer is eventually rescinded — he will not count against the NFL’s compensatory pick formula."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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