Arizona Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler, hero of Super Bowl 49, on reserve/retired list

The Arizona Cardinals have placed Malcolm Butler on the reserve/retired list a day after news surfaced the veteran cornerback was dealing with a personal issue and was contemplating retirement or stepping away from the game at least for the time being.

Tuesday’s move allows the Cardinals to remove Butler from the 53-man active roster while still allowing the team to control his rights in the event he wants to return. It would also allow them to bring in a veteran cornerback via a trade or the waiver wire to either compete for a starting spot or at the very least, provide some depth at a position that now is clearly the thinnest on the depth chart.

Asked for an update on the situation Monday morning, before the team put Butler on the reserve/retired list, coach Kliff Kingsbury said, “It remains to be seen. Nothing official on that just yet.”

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NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, citing multiple sources, broke the news Monday afternoon about Butler, 31, saying the former two-time Super Bowl champion “is still trying to work his way through” his personal issue and that retiring or taking a sabbatical of some sort “is on the table.”

As of Monday morning, Kingsbury said he had not spoken with Butler, who has been away from the team for almost a week because of what was thought to be a minor injury problem.

Asked if he knew something was going on behind the scenes with Butler, Kingsbury said, “I don’t want to get into kind of where it’s at. Like I said, nothing’s official. Just leave it at that.”

It was unclear if Tuesday’s move means Kingsbury and the Cardinals finally have some clarity from Butler or his representatives.

Butler, though, clearly has a decision to make if he hasn’t already and at the very least, he needs to stay in communication with the Cardinals while he’s going through his issues. The fact the Cardinals, at least as of Monday afternoon, reportedly had no idea what’s wrong is troublesome.

“I don’t want to get into hypotheticals just yet,” Kingsbury said Tuesday when asked what happens next.

Butler, a seven-year pro who spent the past three seasons with the Titans, agreed to a one-year $3.25 million deal with the Cardinals that could be worth as much as $6 million. He was brought in primarily to replace longtime veteran Patrick Peterson, who left Arizona to sign as a free-agent with the Vikings.

Butler hasn’t publicly announced he is retiring, but he may have informed the Cardinals of that.

If Butler for one reason or another isn’t available for the team’s Sept. 12 season opener against the Tennessee Titans, the team’s starting outside cornerbacks figure to be third-year pro Byron Murphy Jr. and veteran Robert Alford, who has missed each of the past two seasons due to injuries and presently remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

On Monday, the Cardinals placed veteran Darqueze Dennard on injured reserve, effectively ending his season with no chance to return. Kingsbury on Monday said Dennard is dealing with a leg injury that would have made him miss significant time. On Tuesday, the team also released veteran cornerback Daryl Worley and second-year corner Jayce Whittaker as they cut 15 players overall to reach the 53-man roster limit.

As for cornerback depth behind Murphy and Alford, the primary backup spots at present belong to rookie draft pick Marco Wilson and second-year man Luc Barcoo with rookie draft pick Tay Gowan in further reserve.

“We feel really good about where we’re at with the position,” Kingsbury said. “I think Marco’s emergence has been really impressive for a young guy to step in and compete the way he is. We like Tay’s skill set. We like what we’ve seen from Barcoo thus far; he’s played in games. And then obviously Robert is an established player, he’s looked really good physically. And B Murph continues to ascend and can play inside and outside, so we like the group that we have.”

Wilson, a fourth-round selection out of Florida, made huge strides in training camp and two preseason games and he, along with rookie wide receiver Rondale Moore, might have been the two most impressive young players the team has brought in this year.

Wilson’s been so good, in fact, that Kingsbury said he just might be good enough to start.

“No question, yeah,” Kingsbury said. “He’s played at the highest level when you’re talking about college football and trying to cover all those top receivers that come out every year, whether it’s ’Bama, LSU, Georgia. The moment’s not too big for him.”

Wilson began getting first-reps in practice midway through camp and it can only serve him well moving forward, according to Kingsbury.

“It’s been big,” he said. “When you’re trying to cover A.J. Green and DeAndre Hopkins and Christin Kirk every snap, it’s definitely going to help you get prepared for Sundays.”

Kirk and outside linebacker Devon Kennard spoke with reporters on Tuesday and both expressed their concerns for Butler.

“Prayers go out to him and whatever he may be going through,” Kirk said. “I hope that he finds clarity and we’ll support him no matter what.”

Kennard wished the same, but made it a point the Cardinals will trek forward without Butler if that’s the case.

“That hasn’t been much of a discussion. We’ve got to keep the train movin’,” Kennard said. “I personally don’t know anything about that situation. I wish him well and I hope he figures out whatever he has going on. If he comes back, great. If he doesn’t, the train has to keep movin’.

“I’m confident in the guys we have in this locker room and what we can do moving forward.”

Follow the Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman on Twitter @azbobbymac.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Malcolm Butler placed on reserve/retired list by Arizona Cardinals