New England Patriots: 5 players with the most to prove in the 2022 season
New England Patriots player with most to prove No. 4: Malcolm Butler
If you don’t remember Malcolm Butler‘s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals, don’t worry; not many people do. Butler retired midway through preseason with the Cardinals last season, and he never took the field for them in a game that mattered.
Yet Belichick was somehow able to lure Butler out of retirement this offseason, and signed him to a two-year deal. After his infamous benching in Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, Butler has made an unlikely return to Foxborough considering the result of that game.
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For Butler, he is going to have to prove that he can still play cornerback at a high level, because New England is going to desperately need him on the field. J.C. Jackson left in free agency for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Belichick only replaced him with Butler and Terrance Mitchell. Neither guy is anywhere near Jackson’s caliber.
Butler’s best years of his career came during his initial stint with New England, and while it’s unlikely Butler is the same player, the Patriots need him to step up and play a role in a weakened secondary. The expectations for Butler aren’t exactly high considering he didn’t play a down of football last season, but if he can come in and be serviceable, that would be a win for the Pats.