Malcolm Butler will get a chance at redemption in a New England Patriots jersey. The last time he wore one, he was barely allowed on the field — left to watch while the Philadelphia Eagles ripped apart his team’s secondary in Super Bowl LII. Bill Belichick inexplicably benched Butler, a decision which the Patriots coach has never explained to this day.
But that strange ending may not be the final chapter in Butler’s career with New England. The Patriots signed the cornerback to a two-year deal worth up to $9 million. Though he’s been out of the NFL for a full year after temporarily retiring, Butler may quickly ascend to the team’s top cornerback spot. Surely, he and Bill Belichick are pleased to get another chance to work together and, perhaps, have a happier ending.
“No bad blood between me and Bill Belichick,” Butler said July 2018 during an interview with ESPN. “One of the greatest coaches ever and I care about him, I know he care about me. And this a hurtful game sometimes and it can look different than what it is. But that’s my guy. … I got a lot of respect for him.”
Nostalgia aside, the Patriots have a very present and pressing need at cornerback after trading away Stephon Gilmore during the 2021 season and watching cornerback J.C. Jackson sign with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. New England also signed cornerback Terrance Mitchell, but he doesn’t project to be more than a depth option. So Butler and Mitchell join a cornerback group that includes Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade and Joejuan Williams.
For now, the Patriots figure to start Mills and Butler on the outside with Jones in the slot. That would leave Bryant as a depth option in the slot and Wade and Mitchell as backups on the outside. What does that mean? Well, without a true shutdown corner, New England is likely to run a lot more zone defense next season.
It’s fair to say the Patriots are not solidified at the position. Belichick may not add much to the position if New England can’t find more bargain deals in free agency — or don’t see the right draft prospects fall. The spot if very much in flux. But they look thin and not extremely talented.
The Patriots could enter the 2022 season with this group, which immediately looks better with Butler in it. That said, there is certainly no shortage of room for improvement.
