“Although I wish could have contributed more to help my team win, I have to get ready for the next opportunity,” wrote Butler in Tuesday’s statement. In the end, we have to make the decisions that we feel are best for the football team, and that’s what we did, that’s what I did.”īutler had a disappointing regular season and is expected to leave the Patriots in the coming months. “I’m sure other players felt the same way. “I respect Malcolm’s competitiveness, and I’m sure that he felt like he could have helped,” he said on Monday. The famously taciturn Belichick would not expand on why he had omitted Butler. He said Belichick was guilty of a “power trip”. But I could have changed that game.”Ĭoach Bill Belichick’s decision, in a game in which the Patriots struggled to stop the Eagles offense, was called into question by many observers, including former New England cornerback Brandon Browner. I guess I wasn’t playing good or they didn’t feel comfortable.
Butler was seen in tears before the game and was at a loss to explain why he was omitted afterwards, with back-up Eric Rowe unexpectedly taking his place.
