How did Malcolm Butler wind up back with the New England Patriots? According to head coach Bill Belichick, it was quite simple.
Asked Monday about Butler's unlikely return, Belichick explained that the 32-year-old cornerback wanted to resume his career after abruptly retiring last offseason, and the Patriots, after gauging his abilities in a free agent tryout, wanted him back.
"He indicated a desire to play this year, and we worked through the process with Malcolm, like we do with every player," Belichick told reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. "Obviously, we know him, but he came up, visited last week, so we signed him. Look forward to having him back."
Of course, this isn't as straightforward as a player rejoining his former team -- something scores of ex-Patriots have done over the past two decades. This particular reunion comes four years after the most infamous coaching decision of Belichick's career: choosing to bench Butler, a season-long starter, for Super Bowl LII, which the Patriots lost 41-33 to the Nick Foles-led Philadelphia Eagles.
Belichick has yet to offer a sufficient explanation for that move. Perhaps he will at some point this season. He'll certainly have plenty of opportunities, as it'll likely become a popular news conference topic as Butler reintegrates into New England's defense.
But any lingering ill will from that night in Minneapolis seems to have dissipated years ago. Butler has long said he's over it, even cracking jokes in 2019 about the lone special teams snap he played against Philadelphia, and Belichick offered a glowing review of the Super Bowl XLIX hero when asked about him last September.
Asked about Super Bowl LII during Monday's news conference, Belichick replied: "That's all old news."
Belichick said his relationship with Butler is "great" and that he's "glad to have him back." While it's unclear how Butler will perform after a year away from the game, he was Pro Football Focus' 15th-highest-graded cornerback in 2020, starting every game and putting together a solid season for the Tennessee Titans.
If Butler, who signed a two-year contract worth up to $9 million, can play at or near that level for the Patriots, he'll be a valuable addition to a cornerback room that lost Pro Bowler J.C. Jackson to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. New England also signed journeyman Terrance Mitchell, who started 29 games for Cleveland and Houston over the last two seasons, and could look to add one or more young, high-upside corners through the 2022 NFL Draft.
