Malcolm Butler says he'll discuss Super Bowl benching in upcoming documentary and book
BOSTON -- Malcolm Butler joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand program on Thursday on radio row in Phoenix. And with Butler joining a Boston radio station, it was only a matter of time before the topic of his Super Bowl LII benching came up.
Butler, who was technically on the Patriots last year before getting placed on IR in August, said the benching remains a mystery to him.
"Like I always say, man, it was a coaching decision, it was a coach's decision," Butler said. "But I really don't know, man."
That's been more or less Butler's answer whenever asked about the matter over the past five years. Yet this time, Butler added a rather intriguing nugget.
"There's a documentary coming out where I'm talking about all of that. I did that with some of the guys in New England," Butler said. "And I've got a book coming out, also. So I ain't gonna spill the beans, all of 'em right now."
When those beans spill, it figures to be a massive story, as Bill Belichick's decision to keep Butler on the sidelines for the entirety of Super Bowl LII (save for one special teams snap) likely cost the Patriots that Super Bowl against the Eagles. Tom Brady threw for a Super Bowl-record 505 yards with three touchdowns, and the Patriots scored 33 points. But the defense without Butler struggled mightily against Nick Foles, as the Eagles scored 41 points in the game while the likes of Jordan Richards and Johnson Bademosi tried to fill the unnecessary void in the secondary.
"I think [Belichick] only knows why," Butler said. "Because I don't know why. It was a coach's decision. I did play though. I had one punt return rep. But that wasn't enough. See the thing about it like no, he didn't give me an explanation. But all the rumors going around why I didn't play, if I did something so bad, why did I come back?"
For the sake of everyone's curiosity, the book and documentary should have a bit more detail.
And while Butler may not be able to pinpoint why he didn't play, it seems like he's at least ready to address some of the rumors and theories that have sprung up about the benching.
As for the Patriots, Butler said the jury is still out on Mac Jones, but that the usage of Matt Patricia -- Butler's former defensive coordinator -- as the top offensive coach last year was shocking.
"Yeah, I was shocked that he was doing offense. Matty P. is a defensive guy, 100 percent," Butler said. "He's a defensive guy. Not saying offensive guys are soft, but he's a tough guy. And tough guys play defense."
