New England Patriots: Malcolm Butler could be NFL’s biggest surprise
The biggest New England Patriots offseason story of 2018 could be the biggest surprise story of the 2022 NFL season.
Why did Bill Belichick bench Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII?
It was a storyline that had fans and critics of the team speculating for months even years after the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. What could’ve Butler possibly done for Belichick to take one of his best defensive backs off the field during the biggest game of the season?
The benching appears to be as simple as Butler having a heated exchange with the coaches prior to the big game and we all know Belichick doesn’t play that no matter who the player is other than the great Tom Brady.
Malcolm Butler poised to make an impact in New England Patriots secondary
While Butler did go on to score a big contract with the Tennessee Titans, his career spun into a decline that eventually led to an early retirement ahead of the 2021 NFL season. In the meantime, Belichick found his next undrafted find in J.C. Jackson.
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Ironically, Jackson’s free agency splash signing with the Los Angeles Chargers led to an unexpected reunion in which Butler came out of retirement to return to New England. The question is, can he still be a different maker in the Patriots secondary? Can Malcolm Butler at the age of 32 still be a factor in the NFL playing for Belichick?
"“I feel like I have a lot to prove, especially to myself,” Butler told the media, via Mass Live. “if I do it myself, I’ll prove it to my teammates at the same time. So that’s why I’m working hard every day and trying to stay focused.”"
It may be hard to stay focused because the media will continue to speculate and nitpick at the reason Butler was benched back in 2018. The fact that he has re-signed with the Patriots won’t satisfy most who believe something juicier had to be behind Belichick sticking the former Super Bowl hero in the doghouse.
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The only thing that can satisfy that is if Butler does win a starting corner job and makes an impact in what would be at least one of the NFL’s comeback stories of the year. Talk about coming full circle with a team, a Malcolm Butler rejuvenation in Foxboro would be just what the doctor ordered in an offseason that has so far been head scratching for Patriots fans.
As far as the secondary battle, the return of Jonathan Jones should help a secondary that consists of Butler, Jalen Mills, Terrance Mitchell, JoeJuan Williams, Shaun Wade and rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones. There is certainly some depth there, but who emerges as the No. 1 and No. 2 corners will likely determine how strong the unit is. Butler is ready to compete for one of those spots.
"“Feeling good. Feeling fresh. Well, I was until I got here and started running around. Rejuvenated,” Butler said. “Took some time to handle some things and I’m back here now. …I’m back in football shape, but I’ve got more work to do.”"
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It was the hard work that initially landed him in the position he was in when he intercepted Russell Wilson in Super Bowl XLIX and the lack of that hard work that led Belichick to benching him two years later (we think). Ironically, hard work could put him in position to be the NFL’s biggest success story and put an end to a storyline that never really concluded.