Malcolm Butler on Being Benched in Super Bowl LII: 'I Ain't Got Nothing to Say'

Three years ago, Malcolm Butler made one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. The New England Patriots cornerback did not play a defensive snap Sunday, though, as New England fell 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

"I ain't got nothing to say," Butler said of sitting out most of the game, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra.

Butler opened up a little more with ESPN.com's Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter.

"They gave up on me," he said. "F--k. It is what it is."

Despite being on the active roster, Butler played just one special teams snap, per NESN.com's Zack Cox. 

Al Michaels said on the NBC broadcast (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio) Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made a "coach's decision" to bench Butler.

Like Butler, Belichick didn't offer much of an explanation for why he didn't play the 2015 Pro Bowler in the biggest game of the season, per NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran:

Butler's benching didn't appear to be a part of the team's game plan, either. Curran reported Eric Rowe, Butler's replacement, wasn't aware he was starting until shortly before the game and "seemed as puzzled as rest of New England" about the move.

Not only did the Patriots lose the Super Bowl, but they also surrendered 373 yards and three touchdowns through the air to Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Eight of Philadelphia's 10 drives ended in points.

Despite his defense being largely unable to stop the Eagles, Belichick remained steadfast in his decision to keep Butler on the sideline, which brought many puzzled reactions on social media:

Although he's one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Belichick showed Sunday he isn't above making a seemingly inexplicable decision. While Butler had slipped a bit compared to a year or two ago, he still finished the regular season with 60 combined tackles and two interceptions. He hadn't been such a liability so as to be unplayable in the Super Bowl.

In the weeks and months ahead, more will likely come to light about Butler's benching.

At the very least, it looks clear that he will be suiting up for a new team next season as he approaches free agency.