If there’s one player who is both a major uncertainty and, simultaneously, a crucially important piece in the New England Patriots’ plans, it’s Malcolm Butler. The Patriots coaxed Butler out of retirement to return to the NFL after one year away from the game.
Now that he’s back, they might just need him to be their top cornerback — or, at the very least, a starter.
“Malcolm works hard, like he always has,” head coach Bill Belichick said before Tuesday’s voluntary practice during organized team activities. “Very competitive, out there scrapping for balls. His aggressiveness, play style — we’re not in pads, but yeah, looks like it’s about the same.”
That’s good news for New England, which has Butler, Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, Terrance Mitchell, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones at cornerback, among others. The Patriots need Butler be Butler again. He was excellent in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans, though it’s unclear at what caliber he was playing for the Arizona Cardinals prior to his retirement.
“Malcolm’s the same player, in my opinion,” cornerback Jonathan Jones said Tuesday. “He comes out, he works hard and just wants to get better every day. He hasn’t lost that itch for the game.”
Butler played for the Patriots from 2014 to 2017 when he ascended from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl hero and shutdown cornerback. When it came time to pay Butler, however, New England left that to the Titans, who employed Butler from 2018 to 2020. He spent the 2021 offseason with the Cardinals, but decided to retire for a year in August prior to the season.
“I feel like I have a lot to prove, especially to myself,” Butler said on the back fields at Gillette Stadium Tuesday. “If I do it myself, I’ll prove it to my teammates at the same time. So that’s why I’m working hard every day and trying to stay focused.”
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