The Hamilton Tiger-Cats released veteran running back James Butler on Wednesday at his request, 3DownNation has confirmed. He was a pending free agent.
The five-foot-eight, 215-pound ball-carrier played 10 games with the team this past season, recording 110 carries for 522 yards, 45 catches for 372 yards, and three total touchdowns. He lost his starting spot to Greg Bell near the midway point of the season and was a healthy scratch for seven of Hamilton’s nine final regular season games.
The 29-year-old signed with the Tiger-Cats as a free agent in 2023 when he rushed 235 times for 1,116 yards, caught 61 passes for 527 yards, and scored eight total touchdowns. He became the club’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2010.
“Thank you Hamilton,” Butler wrote in a statement. “Any opportunity to play the best game in the world in such a special place like Hamilton will never be taken for granted. I appreciate the love & support from the fans over the past two years.”
Butler spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the B.C. Lions after previously being a member of the Oakland Raiders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Houston Roughnecks. He rushed for 1,557 yards over 28 games with the Lions, including 1,060 yards in 2022.
Over 55 career regular season CFL games, Butler has rushed for 3,195 yards, caught 198 passes for 1,320 yards, and scored 25 touchdowns.
