New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Let that sink in.
Few thought that would be possible again after 2018 when Bill Belichick inexplicably benched Butler for Super Bowl LII when New England lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. But somehow, that’s what Butler is: a New England Patriot. Not even he saw this plot twist coming.
“I didn’t expect to come back to New England but I always had respect for the New England Patriots,” Butler told the media on Monday on a videoconference call. “One thing I learned: you never burn your bridges down. You handle situations as a man and as a grownup. If I didn’t do that, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to come back here. I’m pretty sure I made a good decision by acting like a grown man.”
Belichick has, to this day, never detailed why he chose not to play Butler, the team’s No. 2 cornerback behind Stephon Gilmore. Butler hasn’t aired out any dirty laundry either. Both parties have kept the awkward situation under wraps. And it appears that’s where the details stay.
“You keep business in-house,” Butler said. “I shared my feelings with Bill Belichick (right after the Super Bowl). We had a talk about it like grown men.”
Butler, who signed with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $9 million, repeatedly expressed he’s looking forward to 2022 — and not back to 2018.
“It was tough (leaving in 2018), but you can’t dwell on things in the past. I’m looking forward. I play cornerback,” Butler said. “If I think on the last play I got beat on, I won’t be here for a long time, so you’ve just got to look forward.”
Butler retired before the 2021 season for personal reasons. But the cornerback admitted he missed the NFL, so when Bill Belichick called Butler’s agent, the cornerback said he “started working out immediately” in hopes of rejoining New England for 2022. Butler was asked whether he and Belichick discussed 2018 during their meeting when Butler was a free agent a few weeks ago.
“No, we just talked about the contract and he asked me, ‘Was I locked in? Was I I all in and ready to play?’ I told him, ‘Yeah I am.’ He said, ‘I know you took a year off and the transition is going to be hard since you took a year off.’ But I’m up for the challenge,” Butler said. “I can come in here and work hard and take on any role. So, no, there wasn’t much to talk about that, because I’m here to work.”
