Patriots owner finally breaks silence on Malcolm Butler Super Bowl benching
Without a doubt, one of the most head-scratching calls of Super LII was Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s decision to bench starting cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Butler, a former Pro Bowler and the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, didn’t play at all during the game, which the Patriots ended up losing 41-33.
But despite Belichick’s somewhat puzzling call, Patriots owner Robert Kraft indicated Monday that he has all the faith in the world in his head coach.
During a session with reporters at the annual NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Kraft was asked about the controversial decision.
Calling Belichick the “greatest coach in the history of coaching,” Kraft said he wants all of his managers “to be bold.”
“We try to encourage to have good managers and we want them to be bold, we want them to take risks. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t,” he said, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
“I have faith in Bill as a coach that I don’t think there is anyone who has the football knowledge and expertise combined with understanding personnel — no one can merge those two worlds,” Kraft added.
Kraft continued, noting that Belichick has had tremendous success as head coach of the Patriots, and thus he trusts him to follow his instincts. Even if Belichick “made an error,” the coach has Kraft’s support.
“He’s done pretty well for us over the last 18 years. So, as a fan, I can question some of the moves. As someone who is privileged to be owner of this team, I encourage him to keep going with his instincts and doing what he thinks is right,” Kraft said.
“There is no doubt in my mind, even if he made an error – and this is true with any of our managers – that if they’re doing it for the right reason, then I support it 100 percent. I’ve never had one instance in the 18 years where Bill hasn’t done what he believes is in the best interest of our team to help us win games,” he added.
Kraft’s comments on his head coach came just hours after Belichick himself addressed the situation regarding Butler.
“I have a lot of respect for Malcolm. From the day he got here, in rookie minicamp four years ago, he’s always competed as hard as he could,” the Patriots coach told reporters on Sunday night, according to 247 Sports.
Asked Bill Belichick about Malcolm Butler and Super Bowl decision not to play him on defense, based on Butler’s remarks in Tennessee of maybe not being “locked in and focused 100 percent.” Belichick said he respects Butler. “Not going to get into last year,” he says.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 25, 2018
“He always is a great competitor on the field. I totally respect that.”
Butler, who signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans earlier this month, said after the Super Bowl that the Patriots “gave up on me.”
“I don’t know what it was,” he said when asked why he thought he had been benched, as reported by The Washington Post. “I guess I wasn’t playing good or they didn’t feel comfortable. I don’t know. But I could have changed that game.”
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