Patriots head coach Bill Belichick‘s decision to bench cornerback Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII was one of the league’s top storylines immediately after the Super Bowl, and even though Butler had unequivocally stated just a few days prior that he wanted to remain in New England in 2018 and beyond, the benching suggested to everyone that Butler would not be returning to the Patriots.
And indeed, although reports suggested that a number of teams expressed interest in Butler, who became an unrestricted free agent in March, the Patriots were not one of the teams named in those reports. But Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that New England was, in fact, open to a Butler return. The team reportedly told Butler’s agent to reach out if he could not garner a free agent contract to his liking, and Rapoport even suggests that the Pats were prepared to pay Butler $10MM per season. That report is even more surprising in light of the fact that the Patriots were prepared to trade Butler to New Orleans before the 2017 season even began and again at the 2017 trade deadline.
Of course, Butler ended up accepting a five-year, $61.25MM contract with the Titans, and Tennessee may now be wishing that Butler had taken New England up on its offer. Butler regressed in 2017, and he has not been able to return to form in Nashville. Advanced metrics peg him as one of the worst cornerbacks in the game this year, and although Rapoport confirms a report from earlier this week that the Titans do not plan to relieve Butler of his starting duties at the moment, he will need to improve considerably in order to play out the remainder of his contract.
Butler will have a chance to rebound against his old team today, as the Patriots are in Tennessee for an early afternoon matchup.
I’m waiting for the day when Belichick retires, goes on a talk show, and answers all the questions people have asked throughout his tenure as Pats HC. What happened with Butler? Was his relationship with Brady flawless? Why did McDaniels choose to stay in Foxborough? Were the Pats really on to Cincinnati?
Haha this would be great. I wonder if he’ll release a tell all book but I doubt it, that’s not his style. Maybe on note on his final days
I think it’s funny when New England finds a player like Butler and he becomes one of the best defensive backs in the league! Then another team signs him via free agency and he stinks! That tells you that Belichick is by far the best coach in history of the game
Why is Belichick coaching the DB’s? No. In fact Butler was bad enough with the Patriots that Belichick found him to be useless for the superbowl. There goes your theory
Turning an undrafted rookie into a Super Bowl hero is the amazing part. I think now it shows more about what kind of a player he actually is.
here’s 10M per/season, then we’ll pressure you in the offseason to restructure and take less i.e. the patriot way
Literally every team in the league restructures contracts and they do it throughout the season Also restructuring a contract doesn’t mean they are taking less money, a lot of times they move money around to lessen the cap hit for current year and add to future. Nice try though
Butler is gone at the end of next season. The signing bonus is paid and that’s all that will be guaranteed after two years. I.e. Butler will get the $24 million guaranteed at signing and not a dollar more. The Titans save nothing by cutting him this year or next. He may be riding the bench next year though or the nickel back if he keeps playing like this.