Patriots coach Bill Belichick maintains stance on benching Malcolm Butler

The New England Patriots headed into Super Bowl LII as the favorites. Justifiably,  considering their dominance throughout the 2017 campaign with Tom Brady showing no signs of ageing at 40.

Despite being favored, the Patriots faced a formidable opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Foles and company didn’t back down as they held their own against the defending champion and eventually came out on top.

Following the loss, the surprising benching of corner Malcolm Butler became a hot topic of discussion. Head coach Bill Belichick claimed it was a football decision before the game and after the loss he is sticking by his stance, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

“I appreciate the question, but it would be a much longer discussion,” Belichick said. “There are a lot of things that go into that. In the end, the final decision is what I said it was.”

Futures

At this point, Belichick has to live with his decision. There’s no turning back. Eagles fans celebrate in the streets of Philadelphia while a pin drop can be heard in Boston.

To further complicate matters, Butler can leave the team in NFL free agency during the offseason. Most believe that will happen and Belichick benching him for Super Bowl LII may have made it a certainty.

Although the Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl loss with quite a few changes expected during the offseason, New England has already been dubbed the favorite to win it all next season. An interesting early favorite considering the turnover expected in New England.