Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler released a statement on Tuesday, in an attempt to clarify why he was benched for every defensive possession in New England’s Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The statement didn’t say much of substance, other than deny rumors that Butler was benched for missing his curfew on Saturday. With Bill Belichick also unwilling to disclose a legitimate reason why Butler, who started 15 games for the Patriots this season, was benched, what exactly is going on remains a mystery.
49ers wide receiver Pierre Garçon looked to take advantage of the seemingly frayed relationship between the Patriots and Butler on Tuesday, taking to Twitter to recruit the cornerback, who is a free agent this offseason, while also taking a swipe a Belichick in the process.
Yo yo @Mac_BZ come to The Bay. @49ers we got CAP SPACE, a QB and the best receivers in the division are on your team. You won’t have to worry about the head coach being all up in the videos. All in the way and stuff. One goal in mind over here. #SB53 Let’s Get It #49erFaithful
— Pierre Garçon (@PierreGarcon) February 7, 2018
Butler, 28, made the Pro Bowl in 2015 and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2016.