Malcolm Butler spoke out on Sunday night after coach Bill 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.’
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
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)
‘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.
Butler 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.’
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.’
Difficult moment: Butler is comforted by his teammates on the sideline ahead of Sunday night’s game
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
Bronwer 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.’