Nearly eight years have passed, but Bill Belichick‘s confusing decision on Super Bowl 52 still haunts Malcolm Butler every night.

The former New England Patriots cornerback was benched for the finale and watched the team struggle from the sideline.

If the Patriots had won, Butler might not have put the opinion on the table. But they lost 41–33 to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the ex-NFL star believes Belichick didn’t make the right decision.

Malcolm Butler Questions Bill Belichick’s Super Bowl LII Benching Decision

Butler appeared on The Pivot Podcast Friday and finally addressed his awkward benching after such a long time, since Belichick’s decision cost them a championship.

The Eagles torched the secondary for 538 total yards. Nick Foles threw for 373 yards, and the Eagles scored 41 points. Butler knew he could have changed the outcome.

In that year, he was the team’s number two cornerback heading into the big game.

Everyone expected him to play major snaps against the Eagles’ offense.

But the 73-year-old Hall of Famer had a different plan which backfired badly.

Belichick called it a coach’s decision without further explanation, saying.

“We put the players and game plan out there that we thought would be the best.” 

Butler shed tears on the sideline after learning the change just before kickoff. Until now, he hasn’t opened up about the controversial coaching decision.

“It was tough, especially the whole world watching things like that,” Butler said during the podcast. He knew he could have made a difference on the field. “I don’t think it was the right decision,” he added with clear conviction in his voice.

The cornerback recalled being ready to give everything for his team. “I’m ready to show up, show out. I’m ready to pull the hamstring,” Butler explained.

His passion for the game never wavered despite the shocking benching.

Butler also acknowledged that disagreements happen in professional football. “Sometimes people don’t see eye to eye on things like that,” he said. The comment revealed a rift between player and coach that never fully healed.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft later revealed it wasn’t a football-related decision. He said something personal happened between Belichick and Butler.

Reports later surfaced that Butler had a heated exchange with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who wasn’t happy with the CB’s effort on the practice field.

After that painful Super Bowl loss, Butler left New England and signed a five-year, $61 million deal with the Tennessee Titans, where he had seen many ups and downs.

He couldn’t even revive his downfall by joining the Arizona Cardinals squad. So, he retired temporarily for personal reasons but did a brief comeback with New England in 2022 before announcing his official retirement in March 2024.