Career Summary

Eric Butler progressed from a Corona, California, high-school safety prospect to a four-year San Diego State contributor and 2026 Patriots rookie free agent.

Butler played 48 games for San Diego State from 2022 through 2025, developing from a special-teams contributor into a starting safety. His college career included defensive production, blocked punts and an interception returned for a touchdown.

New England signed him on August 7, 2026. The Patriots later waived him from injured reserve on September 2, and his status remained unverified as of September 11, 2026.

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Early Life

Eric Butler grew up in Corona, California, before beginning his documented football development at Centennial High School.

Butler’s listed hometown is Corona, California. His football background is documented from his high-school years onward, with no further early-life details established in the record used here.

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High School

At Centennial High School in Corona, Butler played on both sides of the ball and became a safety prospect recruited by San Diego State.

Centennial went 11-1, finished 5-0 in league play and reached the state semifinals before losing to eventual champion Mater Dei. Butler entered college identified as a safety and athlete prospect.

San Diego State’s biography described him as a three-star recruit from 247Sports and ESPN and a two-star recruit from Rivals. He chose the Aztecs over reported offers from Washington, Kansas, Utah State, Fresno State, Nevada and New Mexico.

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College Career

Butler spent four seasons at San Diego State, advancing from special-teams duty to a starting safety and finishing with 48 appearances.

As a true freshman in 2022, Butler appeared in 12 of 13 games, primarily on special teams, logging 30 defensive snaps and seven tackles. In 2023, he played 11 games as a reserve safety and regular special-teams contributor, recording 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and two blocked punts.

He made 11 starts in 12 appearances during 2024, intercepting a pass against Wyoming and returning it 43 yards for a touchdown while also forcing a fumble. He earned honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition. In 2025, he played all 13 games and started 12, producing 42 tackles, six pass breakups, half a sack, a fumble recovery and a 22-yard punt return. His career totals were 119 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one interception returned for a touchdown, two blocked punts and one fumble recovery.

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Path to the NFL

Butler reached professional football as a San Diego State safety who signed with New England as a 2026 rookie free agent.

The record does not identify Butler as a selection in the 2026 NFL Draft or provide a draft round and overall pick. New England instead announced his signing as a rookie free agent on August 7, 2026.

The Patriots listed him as a safety and cited his San Diego State production when announcing the move, marking his entry into professional football.

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NFL Career

Butler’s documented professional career consists of his 2026 New England signing, injured-reserve transaction and subsequent waiver before the September 11 cutoff.

New England signed Butler on August 7, 2026. No regular-season NFL appearance or statistic was identified through September 11, 2026.

The Patriots later placed him on injured reserve and announced on September 2 that they had waived him from injured reserve. The team’s transaction log also lists an August 30 release involving Butler, creating a conflict between the transaction records.

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Career Accomplishments

Butler’s principal achievements included 2024 honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition and unusual special-teams production at San Diego State.

His two blocked punts in 2023 tied for the second-highest single-season total in San Diego State history at the time and ranked fifth in the program’s career record context at that point.

In 2024, Butler recorded his first career interception against Wyoming and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. He also earned honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition that season.

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Playing Style

Butler’s college role combined safety play with special-teams impact, and his responsibilities expanded as he moved into the starting lineup.

San Diego State described Butler before the 2025 season as an athlete with “great instincts,” an attributed coaching evaluation. His production included two blocked punts in 2023, six pass breakups in 2025 and a fumble recovery that season.

He progressed from mostly special-teams work as a freshman and reserve duty as a sophomore to 11 starts in 2024 and 12 starts in 2025. Those role changes describe his college usage without establishing abilities beyond that level.

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Legacy

At San Diego State, Butler left a record that combined a starting-safety role, conference recognition and notable blocked-punt production.

His four-year Aztecs career included a progression from developmental freshman contributor to starting safety. The two blocked punts in 2023 and his 2024 honorable mention All-Mountain West selection are the clearest markers of his college significance.

His professional career had not developed enough by the September 11, 2026 cutoff to establish a broader NFL legacy.

Section reviewed 2026-09-11