Malcolm Butler. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- After the Patriots' Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, many were left wondering why cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched.
There were rumors of a missed curfew--or something worse--that led to Pats Head Coach Bill Belichick deciding not to include Butler in the game. Butler refuted those rumors in a statement Tuesday:
Malcolm Butler Issues Statement On Being Sidelined At Super Bowl
The Patriots contend that Butler's benching was completely performance-based--but Boston Sports Journal editor Greg Bedard tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman that he's not sure he buys that.
"I could understand benching him for performance reasons for part of the game," Bedard said. "Sitting him for the entire game when people are getting toasted on defense? I'm sorry, that just doesn't add up, and it's not a good enough explanation."
So what does Bedard think happened?
"I believe that, at some point in time, he was told that he was not starting, that he was not in certain backages, that he wasn't going to play a ton, and he must have said something to somebody," he said. "I don't blame him--he had earned the right to play in the Super Bowl for all he's done with this team. Bill Belichick felt otherwise, it's his team, he's entitled to do that, but Malcolm's human, and if he popped off, that happens. But there's no other explanation other than something else went on for him to sit for the entire Super Bowl."
Kaufman and Bedard also discussed what's going to happen with Butler and the team going forward.
Hear the rest of Kaufman and Bedard's conversation here: