Bill Belichick reportedly made the decision to bench Malcolm Butler after the cornerback struggled in practice and committed a serious rules infraction while in Minneapolis.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Butler was already questionable after he struggled during practice all week.
Not helping his lackluster performance on the field was the fact that Butler had twice been admitted to the hospital in the days before the team traveled to Minnesota with flu-like symptoms.
A a result, Butler was not able to join the team until Tuesday, one day after media night.
The final straw, however, was his decision to attend a Rick Ross concert reports Rapoport, which resulted in Butler breaking the team’s midnight curfew.
That curfew violation occurred on Thursday, and on Sunday he learned he was not starting for the Patriots just before kickoff.
Meanwhile, former Patriots star Brandon Browner caused a stir on Instagram Monday when he posted a list of possible infractions that could have kept Butler off the field.
Those included having guests after curfew, being with a woman or getting caught with weed – though Browner at no point stated which if any of these offenses Butler might have committed prior to the game.
Benched: Malcolm Butler (above on Sunday moments after learning he would not play) did not play a single snap on defense during the New England Patriots loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
Hustlin’: Butler broke curfew to attend a Rick Ross concert on Thursday (above) in Minneapolis
Difficult moment: Butler is comforted by his teammates on the sideline ahead of Sunday night’s game
Former Pats star Brandon Browner caused a stir when he posted infractions that could have kept Butler off the field, including being caught with weed (left) and then backtracked (right)
My understanding is the benching of #Patriots CB Malcolm Butler happened because of a perfect storm of issues: Sickness, a rough week of practice, and a minor rule violation believed to be related to curfew. A complicated matter. pic.twitter.com/TmUJgkHpsZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 5, 2018
Browner was later forced to clarify his statement when a number of outlets began to run his post as proof that Butler was smoking weed.
‘This why I don’t do interviews, I’m not on that team. I was not with Malcolm to know what he was doing,’ wrote Browner.
‘But here is an example of how they will take something you say, and make a controversial story behind it.’
Butler spoke briefly on Sunday night after Belichick opted not to play him on defense during the New England Patriots Super Bowl loss.
‘They gave up on me. F***, it is what it is,’ Butler told ESPN.
‘It was a coach’s decision. … I don’t know what it was. I guess I wasn’t playing good. They didn’t feel comfortable. I could have changed that game, though.’
The cornerback, who played crucial roles in the Patriots come-from-behind wins against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, was in tears on the sideline before the start of the game on Sunday.
And when asked why he made the decision to bench Butler, Belichick would only say: ‘We put the best players out there and the game plan out there that we thought would be the best tonight, like we always do.’
He elaborated a bit on Monday, but claimed it was not a rules violation that kept Butler out of the game.
‘I appreciate the question, but it would be a much longer discussion. There are a lot of things that go into that. In the end, the final decision is what I said it was,’ said the Patriots coach.
‘I respect Malcolm’s competitiveness, and I’m sure he felt he could’ve helped. I’m sure other players felt the same way. In the end, we have to make the decisions we feel are best for the football team. That’s what I did. That’s really all I can say about it.’
‘I was just doing my job supporting my teammates. I had nothing but great things to say about the organization. Great organization. They gave me the opportunity,’ said Butler as he returned to the team bus after the loss on Sunday.
When asked about where he saw himself next year, Butler offered no comment, noting: ‘I ain’t Miss Cleo, so I can’t tell the future.’
The Patriots coaching staff meanwhile continues to offer lackluster excuses for their decision to bench the man who won the 2015 Super Bowl with his interception in the final seconds of the game.
In the aftermath of that win, Tom Brady even handed Butler the keys to the Chevy truck he was given as the Super Bowl MVP.
He was just as effective last year in helping the Patriots defeat the Falcons.
Butler took more snaps during the regular season than any other member of the Patriots, which left many puzzled by the coaching staff’s explanations for their decision.
‘We just played all the guys we could to try to help us win in whatever packages we had,’ said defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Members of the team added to the confusion when they revealed how sudden the decision was to bench Butler, who arrived one day after the team in Minneapolis due to illness.
Eric Rowe, who played for Butler, said after the game that he only learned he was starting just moments before kickoff.
‘He’s a very emotional guy. He has a lot of passion for the game,’ Rowe said of Butler.
‘It is not often you go to the Super Bowl. I know he has gone a few times, but I feel for him.’
Victory: Butler won the 2015 Super Bowl for the Patriots with his goal line interception (above) in the final moments of the game
Tackled: He also played a crucial role in the Patriots 2017 Super Bowl win over the Atlanta Falcons (above)
Deserved: Tom Brady gave Butler the Chevy truck that he won as the 2015 Super Bowl MVP (above), implying that he believed that cornerback was a more deserving winner
Former Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner ripped the team for their decision on social media Sunday.
‘A locker room was divided pre game, most yds ever given in up in a SB game, and your best defender over the past 3 seasons doesn’t get a snap,’ wrote Browner.
‘You were hurt/burnt where he was needed tonight.’
He later wrote: ‘Players play and Coaches are supposed to Coach, Bill was out coached for not letting his players play.’
Browner also suggested that Butler, who will soon be a free agent, is not long for New England.
‘God bless u my friend, keep fighting, I saw you tear up pre game, first sign. You done a lot for that team and that community it’s ok to move on,’ he wrote on Sunday.
Belichick did ultimately take the blame for his team’s loss on Sunday.
‘Obviously we didn’t do a good enough job coaching, missed a lot of opportunities offensively in the first half, didn’t play good enough defense, didn’t play good enough in the kicking game,’ said the coach, who suffered his third loss in the Super Bowl.
‘In the end, we just couldn’t quite make enough plays, and that was all on me. Disappointing, but I’m proud of the way our team competed.’