Patriots, Robert Kraft Shed Light On Malcolm Butler Mystery, Blame Bill Belichick

If you were hoping “The Dynasty” docuseries on Apple TV+ was going to reveal any huge secrets on why former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched in Super Bowl LII, we’re sorry to inform you that it doesn’t.

It’s subject matter that most certainly is broached, but given the folks involved, you could probably guess where those conversations went. We’re left with an icy interaction between series director Matt Hamachek and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, a relatively short explanation from Butler’s side and a surprising amount of people placing blame on the testy coach’s shoulders.

“In the 2017 season, Malcolm Butler had played 98 percent of the snaps. Why was he only on the field for one play during the Super Bowl?” Hamacheck asked Belichick.

“Yeah, Matt, we’ve talked about that,” Belichick responded.

“I didn’t ask you about it,” Hamacheck fought back, trying and failing to elicit any sort of explanation from the 71-year-old.

That’s all we really get from one side, and on the other, Butler seems suspiciously quiet about it the situation as well.

“I was very emotional,” Butler said. “I didn’t feel like I was being treated right because I didn’t find out until the game that I wasn’t going to play. … The thing about it, I really don’t know. I really don’t. Just to, like, leave me watching my team suffer when I know I can help them. Like, not one rep. Not one rep.”

Butler pretty much leaves the ball in Belichick’s court with that response, perhaps knowing it’ll stay there untouched for a very long time.

It’s a pretty disappointing realization that neither Belichick or Butler dive deep into what happened back in February 2018, but that probably could have been expected. The more surprising aspect of “The Dynasty’s” foray into the subject was how Butler’s teammates and a few Patriots leaders responded. It range from diplomatic (hello, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater), to deflective of all blame (hi, Robert Kraft), to downright bitter (oh look, Danny Amendola is back).

We’ll leave you with all their words, in succession.

McCourty: If you would have told me going into that game, Malcolm Butler’s not going in, do you think that helps you win? I’d say no. That year, 98 percent of the time, Malcolm is on the field playing with us on defense. Three years before, in Super Bowl 49, he saves the game.

Slater: As players, I know we all felt strongly that Malcolm should have been out there. But that’s not our call. At the end of our day, we trust our coach. Seeing how the game transpiring, it was kind of like, we need him in there right now. Can we get him in there to stop the bleeding?

Josh McDaniels: I don’t have one bit of information about that to this day.

McCourty: I talked to coaches, other players, none of us ever heard what happened or why it happened.

Kraft: What has been told me was that there was something personal going on between Bill and Malcolm that was not football-related. I always felt that every decision Bill had made had been to put what was in the best interest of the team first and put emotion aside, but with Malcolm, he did just the opposite.

Danny Amendola: I remember walking off the field that night just really confused. That was the biggest game our lives at the moment, and Malcolm’s not on the field, that shit still kind of pisses me off still today. I mean, we played our asses off. Tom threw for 500-plus yards, which in the Super Bowl has never been done. We’re out there literally putting our bodies on the line, our heads on the line for our friends, family, teammates. To not get an explanation, like, I felt we got cheated a little bit, honestly, and I don’t feel bad saying that.

What do you think, Patriots fans? Satisfied with the explanation?