Patriots Released Longtime Veteran on Thursday

The New England Patriots released a talented veteran despite the great expectations they had. Head coach Bill Belichick was really excited to have Malcolm Butler on his team again, but the Super Bowl hero is now out of the team.

Butler had great plans for his return to the team. His tenure with the Patriots didn’t last long. First, the Patriots placed him on season-ending injured reserve earlier this month. Now he is released off of IR as confirmed by the NFL transaction wire. Butler is officially a free agent and he can sign with another team.

The Athletic reported that Butler sustained a hip injury in the preseason game against the New York Giants. Butler didn’t join his teammates for practice after the game. He finished it with one tackle and a fumble recovery.

The #Patriots released CB Malcolm Butler from IR with an injury settlement.

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 25, 2022

Patriots released the veteran after impressive return

The Patriots gave Butler a two-year deal in March. Butler, 32, started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent back in 2014. Belichick trusted his potential and he became a key player for the team. Fans still remember his magic in Super Bowl XLIX. Butler picked off Russell Wilson at the goal-line and the rest is history. This play helped him become an All-Pro corner and the Patriots won a lot of games with his help.

Butler’s infamous benching is another popular topic. Belichick benched him in Super Bowl LII and he played just one special teams snap. Why did Belichick do this? They haven’t offered an explanation for this situation and fans still speculate. This benching didn’t stop Belichick and he gave Butler another chance. It didn’t work. The results are here.

In his NFL career, Butler started in 84 of his 100 regular-season games, recording 82 pass breakups, 17 interceptions, and 406 tackles. He was retired for a year, but the Patriots brought him back. It was a great reunion for everyone. Butler may be dealing with too many health concerns right now. He may need a longer break from football. Where will he go now? Home? Another retirement decision?