New Tennessee Titans cornerback and former New England Patriots star Malcolm Butler had quite a four-year tenure in Foxborough.
From undrafted rookie to Super Bowl 49 hero to Pro Bowler, Butler looked destined to be a big part of the Pats defense for the long-term. But head coach Bill Belichick questionably benched Butler in Super Bowl 52 (he only played one snap in the entire game, on special teams), and watched Nick Foles torch the secondary.
With the Philadelphia Eagles beating New England 41-33, Belichick's decision to bench Butler looked all the more silly. After the game, Belichick told reporters that he did what was best for the team and their game plan, which is why the Super Bowl 49 savior sat out.
Butler left the Patriots and signed a whopping five-year contract worth $61 million with the Tennessee Titans. Asked by Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald about his Super Bowl benching and departure, Butler finally gave his side of the story:
There were reports that Butler may have broken curfew, hence Belichick benched him for disciplinary reasons. But those rumors could never be confirmed, and it appears only the Patriots head coach (plus a few others inside the organization), will ever know the full reason.
Butler's departure from New England looked inevitable well before the Super Bowl. Last offseason, Belichick refused to pay Butler top dollar, and signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year contract worth $65 million. Butler was then signed to a first-rounder tender, and was forced to play at a discount salary of $3.91 million. Because of the tender, no team was willing to make a trade for Butler. The price was simply way too high.
And so, Butler joins a long list of Patriots legends that Belichick willingly showed the door to. Richard Seymour, Lawyer Milloy, Adam Vinatieri, Wes Welker and Ty Law are among other big-named players that left New England on bad circumstances.
Butler may have single-handedly saved Super Bowl 49 while also helping New England win Super Bowl 51, but it didn't matter to Belichick. And with that, he'll presumably finish the rest of his career in the Music City.