Getty Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on.
D
ue to the way Malcolm Butler’s career with the New England Patriots ended, fans may be surprised to learn who was the first person from the organization to reach out to the cornerback.
Butler’s return to New England was a bit of a shock to some fans. He spent the 2021 NFL season at home retired and his career in New England didn’t end on the best of terms.
Butler was famously benched for Super Bowl LII. When speaking to the media for the first time since his return, Butler is focused on the present and not the past.
“It wasn’t hard,” Butler said about not talking publicly about his benching. “You keep your feelings in house. I had a talk with Bill Belichick, we had a talk about it like grown men…it’s 2022, you can’t live in the past.”
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Butler’s comments indicate that Belichick and Butler’s relationship isn’t as bad as once thought. On Monday it was revealed by Butler that Belichick was the first to make contact between the two parties.
“It came as a surprise,” Butler told reporters. “My agent told me Bill wanted to talk with me. I was happy. I started working out immediately because I knew it could be a possibility that I could return.”
A Softer Bill Belichick
Over the years, time has seemed to take away the constant cloud over Belichick’s head. Whether it be publicly praising Mac Jones or apologizing to the media for being too mean, Belichick seems to have turned a new leaf.
Now 70-years-old, Belichick is nearing the end of his career. According to Albert Breer, he wants to leave the Patriots in good shape for whoever takes over for him once Belichick decides to step away.
“I think whenever he leaves he’s gonna wanna leave it in good shape,” Breer told “The Rich Eisen Show,” on April 14. “One thing I can remember from covering him on the beat, and this is years ago, was he — I remember he felt like Bill Parcells, who obviously had been his boss, had left a couple of teams in pretty rough shape. I think there was sort of this resolve whenever he left New England, he wasn’t going to do that.”
Giving Butler another chance seems to be yet another indicator that Belichick’s kindness has increased over the years.
Trusting Butler
Belichick is also putting a lot of trust in Butler. The Super Bowl hero will be New England’s top corner unless a major move is made.
Butler is more than a few seasons removed from his best performances. In the 2016 season, the cornerback was able to rack up four interceptions along with 63 tackles. Butler also was a quality corner for the Tennessee Titans as he was also able to tally four interceptions but also reached 100 tackles.
At 32 years old, Butler is reaching the end of his career. His run with the Patriots could be the last of his career.
But Belichick clearly believes in Butler as he was the first to reach out. The 2022 NFL season will prove if that faith in the cornerback was worth it.