The Patriots did not execute well enough defensively to beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday, but the issues the team appears to be having off the field may be the biggest concern for New England going forward.
After the Patriots were torched on defense in a 41-33 loss, former Pats cornerback Brandon Browner took to Instagram to rip Bill Belichick for benching Malcolm Butler. Dont’a Hightower was among those who “liked” the post.
Browner’s Instagram post was liked by Hightower, Jamie Collins and Alfonzo Dennard pic.twitter.com/uDGIzvcerH
— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) February 5, 2018
Hightower missed most of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. His play in Super Bowl LI last year was a big reason why the Patriots pulled off a miraculous comeback, and he is considered a leader both on the field and in the locker room. It’s definitely noteworthy that he was willing to make his opinion on the Butler situation known publicly.
The Patriots said benching Butler was a coach’s decision. Butler had no problem telling Belichick how he felt about it, and a lot of fans feel the same way. In the wake of reports that Belichick and Tom Brady need to meet during the offseason to work out some issues, it sounds like a divided locker room became an issue in New England over the course of the 2017 season.
