SAN DIEGO -- In the end, Donald Butler's scheduled salary of $4.65 million in 2016 was too much for the San Diego Chargers, so the organization did the right thing and released the University of Washington product, giving him plenty of time to find a new team in free agency.
The Chargers inked Butler to a seven-year, $51.8 million contract extension two years ago as a foundational piece of the team's defense moving forward. However, he struggled in 2014 with injuries and inconsistent play.
The Chargers drafted thumper Denzel Perryman in the second round of the 2015 draft to push both Butler and Manti Te'o.