The New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans have been holding joint practices this week, and you would think that might lead to some uncomfortable tension between Malcolm Butler and the coach who infamously benched him during Super Bowl LII two years ago. However, the star cornerback seems to be handling the situation about as well as you could expect him to.
Reporters asked Butler on Thursday about being benched, and he actually made light of the situation.
Malcolm Butler on SB: “I have no regrets at all. I graded out at 99 percent, one punt return rep. It was great. … I enjoyed my time there and everything happens for a reason. I am happy I am still in the NFL. I have a great relationship with those guys. It’s all good.”
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) August 15, 2019
Butler was also asked if he ever received an explanation for why he only played one snap, and he quipped that those questions are best reserved for “the hoodie.”
Butler asked if he has gotten any answers on the SB benching.
“Where’s the Hoodie at? You gotta ask him”
— Kevin Duffy (@KevinRDuffy) August 15, 2019
It’s still unclear why Butler was benched. There have been countless theories that range from simple scheming to the cornerback getting in trouble in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, but none of that has ever been confirmed. Butler said last year that even he never received an explanation for the puzzling decision. And if any reporter dares ask Belichick about it two years later, we know exactly how that is going to go.
You have to give Butler credit for taking the high road, especially if he was truly never given a reason. That said, he went undrafted in 2014 and the Patriots gave him a chance to play a key role under arguably the best defensive mind in NFL history. Even if his career with the team ended poorly, he knows he probably would have never signed his massive contract with the Titans if not for Belichick seeing something in him.
