Malcolm Butler, the Patriots' top cornerback and Super Bowl hero, is scheduled to earn $600,000 in the final year of his contract this season. So, when he didn't show up at OTAs, a common conclusion was drawn: Butler wants a new deal that pays him fairly, so he skipped practice.
According to Butler, though, that's not the case. After showing up on Tuesday, Butler told reporters that he missed OTAs for family ... "or something like that," whatever the heck that means.
CB Malcolm Butler described his May 26 OTA absence as a "big misunderstanding." He added that he had some "off the field issues." (1/2)
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 7, 2016
Asked to specify about the "big misunderstanding", Patriots CB Malcolm Butler said it was a "family issue, or something like that." (2/2)
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 7, 2016
Malcolm Butler told me the holdout speculation bothered him: "Of course that's going to bother you. ... Everyone knows why I wasn't here."
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) June 7, 2016
(Give credit to the Boston Herald for getting that right last week).
That doesn't mean, though, that Butler is happy about his contract. And he shouldn't be, because he shouldn't be earning the same amount of money as cornerbacks like Demontre Hurst, Charles James, and Insert Name of Replacement Level Corner (there's a lot).
When he was asked about his contract, Butler didn't directly say that he's upset, but his Bill Belichickian response told us all that it needed to.
On his contract status, CB Malcolm Butler said, "It is what it is. I'm going to play hard, no matter what." #Patriots
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 7, 2016
Thrust into the feature corner role last season after the Patriots lost Darrelle Revis in free agency, Butler thrived, snagging two picks and racking up 15 passes defended. And that makes him one of the best bargains in the NFL.
So, the Patriots might hesitate to hand Butler a lucrative deal, especially considering he's not holding out and he's a restricted free agent next year. Only one side holds all the leverage in the upcoming contract battle, and that side isn't Malcolm Butler.
