McCourty Says Team Knew Butler Wouldn’t Start In Super Bowl

Ever since New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made the shocking decision to not play the team's star cornerback Malcolm Butler for even just one defensive snap in this month's Super Bowl, a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, many questions have been raised about the move. 

While it was a rather abrupt move according to media and fans alike, according to defensive captain and safety Devin McCourty, the team knew that the Super Bowl XLIX hero would not start in the big game.

"We all knew he wasn't starting all week," McCourty told NJ Advanced Media. "That wasn't a secret to the guys on the team."

McCourty also shut down all of the rumors that came out after the game, claiming that Butler's surprise benching was the result of disciplinary and misconduct issues.

"As far as I know, all of that is the furthest thing from the truth," McCourty said.

The respected veteran said that he felt bad that Butler's character had been questioned and that he hadn't heard of any issues involving the diminutive defensive back throughout Super Bowl week.

While some other members of the team, including Butler's replacement Eric Rowe, have claimed that the decision was something they weren't clued in about, McCourty says the team, including Butler, were well aware of the decision.

Butler, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, will likely see his tenure with the Pats come to an end.

After playing nearly 98 percent of the defensive snaps throughout the season, his time in New England will end with him on the sideline.