Another day, another wrinkle in the story Malcolm Butler.
Ever since he signed with the Tennessee Titans, the former New England Patriots cornerback has been more candid about his infamous Super Bowl benching. That trend continue during a recent Sports Illustrated interview, in which Butler revealed how close he was to telling New England head coach Bill Belichick to play him against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In reaction to Butler’s comments, NBC Sports Boston’s Mike Giardi on Friday reached out to pair of Patriots players, both of whom had interesting things to say about their former teammate.
Check out these tweets:
Texted a couple current Patriots about the Malcolm Butler media tour and his comments to SI. One said "we all wished it would have worked out better" but he "should have focused on what mattered those 2 weeks." Other said "we didn't like the decision but it wasn't without merit."
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 30, 2018
Finally on Butler "he tried" to return to form said one teammate and "we appreciated that" but was he ever himself? "Last year? No."
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 30, 2018
These comments admittedly are a bit vague — unsurprising, considering who they play for.
Still, the fact one player believes the decision to bench Butler “wasn’t without a merit” is telling, as is the other player’s indication that Butler wasn’t focused during the lead up to Super Bowl LII.
What remains a mystery, however, is whether the decision to bench Butler stemmed from on-the-field struggles, off-the-field issues or a combination of the two. Either way, Belichick reportedly wasn’t alone in making the call.
