Matthew Butler isn’t just chasing quarterbacks, he’s chasing purpose. The newly signed Miami Dolphins defensive tackle brings more than just brute strength to South Beach; he brings heart, leadership, and a mission to give back through his Matthew Butler Foundation. Known for his relentless motor and sharp football IQ, Butler’s journey from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Dolphins is as much about impact off the field as it is about success on it.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Butler has always embraced challenges with grit and grace. Whether battling in the trenches or battling societal issues, he’s using his platform to inspire change. His foundation focuses on youth development, education, and mental wellness; areas Butler believes are key to shaping future leaders both in and out of the locker room.
As he gears up for a pivotal season in the AFC East, a division stacked with quarterback talent and playoff expectations, Butler is locked in and eager to elevate Miami’s already fierce defensive front. The transition from Vegas heat to South Florida humidity may be intense, but Butler says he’s built for it; physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Beyond football, Butler is also a student of the game. He’s fascinated by the analytical and strategic layers that make professional football a chess match at every level. His perspective on the “Madden mindset” in real life offers a fresh take on how players prepare for matchups, scout opponents, and adjust to rapidly evolving offenses.
From childhood moments watching the Dolphins to meeting local legends who inspired him to dream big, Matthew Butler’s story is still being written, but the chapters ahead in Miami are shaping up to be some of his most meaningful yet.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What inspired you to start the Matthew Butler Foundation, and how does it support families — especially single parents?
Matthew Butler: So the Matthew Butler Foundation is that we’re continuing to make it come alive. We’re really looking to empower families as obviously as they’re meant to be with the mother, father, and the children, and obviously you know there may be families that may be a little bit broken at that moment, you know? With single mothers and single fathers especially as well because single fathers don’t get a lot of support, you know? I’ve been with my now wife even when she was my girlfriend for almost 8 years but before her and were married with my daughter being born in ‘17 and my mother and father, my now wife, her family, my siblings, her siblings as well; but not everybody has that and not every young man has that outlet even just to voice something like, “Hey, this is what I’m going through. This is the help I need.” … The tools that it takes to become a better father, a better man, and obviously hopefully finding that somebody in spite of your situation that can love you, love your child, and all those other things that we’re called to do. So just ultimate support for them in all aspects of the family from that moment that child is conceived until that moment that child gets to go out to the world and do their own thing and then the union that is with the man and the woman that take of that child whether if they’re married or not, we still try to support them in every aspect.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How excited are you to join the Miami Dolphins, and what does this new opportunity mean for your career?
Matthew Butler: Hugely excited, man! My first three years of my career had its highs and lows…tempestuous at times — we won big games and sometimes we weren’t on the victorious end, you know? Obviously from a personal standpoint I’ve had some ups and downs with that previous team, but with this new opportunity that I have and all the tremendous people that are in the organization from Coach Clark and Coach McDaniel to all of the executives and managers that I’ve been able to speak to that have been scouting me and believing my game where that I can bring to the organization is exciting. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side but, in the short time that I’ve been in Miami the grass seems a little bit greener and I’m looking to take full advantage of this opportunity and really seize the moment.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What’s the biggest difference between playing in the dry Vegas heat versus the humid Miami heat?
Matthew Butler: So I’ve gotten a little taste of the Miami heat. My first day there it was about 97 (degrees) and I practiced a little but it was my first day there and then over the course of the next few weeks after that, I got a taste of the 94s and now 97s. Compared to Vegas? Vegas can get as hot as 110. Sometimes more. Vegas is dry. Your mouth dries out no matter how much you hydrate. Your body doesn’t feel terrible, it’s just dry. Your mouth is dry and your eyes dry out too. In Miami, it’s just a heavy, heavy heat because it’s so much humidity and stickiness and you’re still running around. So, both are bad. I can’t say which is worse than the other because they’re both bad at times but, I’m used to playing in the heat in general.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Do the defense and offense fraternize off the field, even with the competitive tension during games?
Matthew Butler: When we’re on the same team? Plenty! My locker is right next to Aaron Brewer, and we’ve had some good conversations just about life, relationships, where he comes from, and where I come from, and I had a former teammate that who is brothers with Liam Eichenberg and this is the O-Line mind you; these are the guys in a couple weeks that are going to be sworn enemies for a few weeks and we still fraternize and hang out with each other. I’ve talked to our right tackle (RT) Austin Jackson and talked to him about real football stuff and that previous team that I was with played the Dolphins last year — he and I talked about the Las Vegas/ Miami game last year; I mean, we talked a good bit. Mind you, in two weeks it’s gonna be on and poppin’ for real; but you know we can still talk and fraternize and hang out, and it’s been good. And obviously, we lift together too, because you know, the bigs lift together and we’re competing in there too, you know? We’re in there having fun competing, trying to get better and then also being people, you know?
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How competitive do you expect the AFC East to be this year, especially with all the talent across the division?
Matthew Butler: Oh, it’s going to be EXTREMELY competitive! With obviously that “one team up North” that wears bright blue. They’re a good team. Obviously their quarterback is coming off of a MVP season and there’s great football being played up there, and then you have a young emerging quarterback for that “other team up North” with a receiver coming with Stefon Diggs and Drake Maye, they’re gonna play well. Like I said, obviously Josh Allen is gonna play well, you know? They have all kinds of explosive weapons on both of those teams and what more can you ask for, and then we’re talking about the Jets. The Jets have had dominant defenses in the past, and I’m sure that they continue to build on that. They have a new head coach coming in with the Jets in Aaron Glenn — I mean, it’s gonna be some competitive football. Obviously, we’re building our roster; we’re cultivating a culture in our building that we hope for it to win ball games and win championships, and obviously everybody in our division and everybody in the league is trying to do the same thing so it’s going to be major, you know what I mean? I’ve been able to scout some of the O-linemen in our division and talk to guys like Zach Sieler and Benito [Jones] and talking to them about matchups within our division, and it’s extremely exciting because these are guys who — obviously this division point blank period takes football seriously when you have the Jets, the Dolphins, the Bills, and the Patriots who are historical organizations and they build the rosters accordingly so we’re just looking to compete, but also to dominate.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Does the NFL use a “Madden-like” simulation mindset when it comes to studying player tendencies and patterns?
Matthew Butler: I wouldn’t say my position. Because Madden’s not gonna get an O-lineman right, you know what I mean? They’re just gonna have a guy there. When you’re studying O-linemen tendencies, a lot of time you don’t even have to study one specific O-lineman’s tendency. You would study maybe an O-lineman’s coach or offensive coordinator’s tendency. If they’re always gonna send the slide one way and they have rules for that, we can just base what we do off of their rules. We don’t have to base what we do off of each game or specific game plan they’re playing or who’s playing or if someone’s replacing this guy. We just base it off their rules, you know what I mean? And then obviously, you look and see if you have a high-end puncher or a low-end puncher, an independent puncher and how the O-lineman sets and stuff like that and then if you’re like that, you can study the quarterback in the spot he’s gonna be in — obviously, a dynamic quarterback like that guy up No. 17 he might be in a different place than you know…Drake Maye and Drake Maye, he’s a great quarterback but he’s gonna have an opportunity to be a great quarterback, but I wouldn’t say that him and Josh Allen have the exact same style of play so you study the O-linemen, you study their tendencies, you study their rules, and you study their quarterback and now you have an opportunity to get after it from a whole different perspective than if you go out and play. But you don’t get that from Madden unfortunately, though, you know what I mean?
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What first drew you to paying attention to Miami Dolphins football growing up?
Matthew Butler: I mean, how can you not mention Jason Taylor, you know what I mean? Like, he’s an absolute dog! Hall of Famer. And he was one of the few athletes that was rocking Jordan cleats back in the day, you know what I mean? He was rocking Jordan cleats before Jordan was even publicizing that they had football athletes. I’m talkin’ like…different. Absolutely jacked coming out there looking like GI Joe in a football jersey! If I’m not mistaken, and look this up after we’re done but, I think he has the most pick-6s by any defensive end in football history — because he’s dropping in the coverage, he’s batting balls, he’s intercepting the screens. … I mean, he was an absolutely dynamic athlete that just so happens to be playing defensive end.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who were your prototype defensive tackles or inspirations at your position growing up?
Matthew Butler: I mean, you had Ndamukong Suh, and he’s just mean, aggressive, and just does not really care, and then I’ve been able to informally meet Ndamukong Suh and he’s just this nice dude, you know what I mean? So, he’s actually a cool guy. And obviously you have guys like J.J. Watt who was the face of the NFL for 6 to 8 years. I talk about Jason Taylor getting all those pick-6s, but J.J. Watt has so many batted balls and forced fumbles, and he’s doing that interior defensive line at the defensive end position — they have him over there at tight end catching touchdowns; like, those were the prototype guys especially when I was in middle school and high school when I actually started being like, “Okay. This is my body and I’m about to play defensive line. Who am I going to watch so I can learn?” Another guy who is a little bit of a sleeper Gerald McCoy. I liked watching Gerald McCoy a lot. Very precise with his movements. Still shifty. Great lateral movement. Ndamukong Suh was a straight-up bully, and J.J. Watt is one of the best defensive linemen of all time, you know what I mean? And obviously, you have Aaron Donald so, you had to realize at 6 or 7 years old, EVERYBODY thinks that they’re going to be a running back, quarterback, or wide receiver, middle linebacker you’re not watching the defensive line. But when I thought I was playing running back like Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Urlacher — I mean, even guys like, James Harrison and Junior Seau, I’m watching all those guys. Tiki Barber? I’m watching all those guys because I’m thinking that I’m going to be a linebacker and a running back. If you saw me in real life today you would say, “Why in the world did you ever think that you were gonna play right linebacker or running back?”
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who’s a local player or celebrity you’ve met that truly inspired you?
Matthew Butler: So first off, I would be remiss if I didn’t just say…like, even before I met any big time guy my dad and my mom but especially my dad. He was like, “If this is what you wanna do, this is how we’re gonna go and get to it.” If I would’ve never met some of these guys, I’m still convinced that I would’ve had that same mindset and that was instilled from my mom and my dad, you know what I mean? When I told them that this is what I wanted to do they were like, “OK. This is what it takes to get there and the moment that you don’t show us that, you’re not gonna play no more.” But then you meet guys like Harold Landry. I think he’s with the Patriots now. Went to Boston College; he went to Pine Forest High School and then you have Lamont Gaillard who graduated the same year as him and went to Georgia as a D-lineman, went over to O-line and was able to play a few years in the league as an O-lineman. And then you have Nyheim Hines. And then you even have guys like Greg Milhouse who went to Campbell University in between Raleigh and Fayetteville and was undrafted to the Giants and was able to be on the practice squad for a couple of years. And you have guys like Warren Messer who is just a good football player and is able to coach at the Division I level now — and you see the way that they work is inspiring obviously, but also it’s teaching. So I’m able to learn how I work, my process when you are around guys like that — Harold who’s been in the league for 7 years; Lamont played 2-3 years. Nyheim Hines who still is playing and then like I said, Warren who’s coaching and Greg Milhouse who got to sniff the league. These are all guys who I played with. So it was phenomenal to see the way they work, and they were able to turn it into a career for themselves.
Matthew Butler is more than a free-agent signing, he’s a culture setter. His arrival in Miami comes at a time when the Dolphins are looking to take the next leap, and it’s clear that Butler’s energy and focus align with the team’s goals. Whether stuffing the run or rallying teammates off the field, he’s poised to be a key locker room presence.
Butler’s transition from Vegas to Miami represents more than geography. It’s a return to a place he once admired as a young fan, now turned professional contributor. His deep respect for the game, and for those who came before him, speaks volumes about his humility and hunger.
Through his foundation, he’s ensuring that his legacy won’t be limited to highlight reels. By investing in youth, promoting emotional intelligence, and emphasizing academic growth, Butler is laying groundwork for a future that transcends football.
He understands that impact isn’t just made on Sundays. It’s built in the community, in film rooms, and in quiet conversations that change lives. It’s in the decision to lead when no one’s watching and Butler’s doing just that.
As the 2025 season kicks off, expect Matthew Butler to bring the heat, not just in Miami’s trenches, but through every action that reflects his purpose, passion, and presence.
