Patriots Super Bowl XLIX hero announces retirement
The end of Super Bowl XLIX is one to remember for the New England Patriots. And that was thanks to Malcolm Butler. But now the Super Bowl hero has decided to hang up his cleats. Butler announced on Houston television station KPRC that he is retiring from the NFL. “I am retired,” Butler said. “I […]
The end of Super Bowl XLIX is one to remember for the New England Patriots.
And that was thanks to Malcolm Butler.
But now the Super Bowl hero has decided to hang up his cleats.
Butler announced on Houston television station KPRC that he is retiring from the NFL.
“I am retired,” Butler said. “I did the best I can do. Walking away from the game feeling comfortable. Everybody can do more, but I’m satisfied with my career. It’s time to move on and transition.”
As for what's next, he isn't sure. But Butler is open to anything.
“There’s a lot of things I can do,” Butler said. “I want to keep myself busy.”
And his time in New England was one to remember.
“It was great. to play with Tom Brady and to play with so many great players, win so many games, for the first four years and go to three Super Bowls,” he said. “People play a long time and never got even close to a Super Bowl. To play with so may great players, it’s truly a blessing. To be able to play for the Kraft family, man, good people.”
Butler was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and remained with the team until 2017. Afterwards, he spent three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and then signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. However, he decided to retire a few months after being signed, but later came out of retirement to join the Patriots again in 2022. He was released by New England a few months later. While he went on to have workouts with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons, nothing ever came from it.
He finished his career with 406 total tackles, three sacks, give forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 17 interceptions, two touchdowns, and 83 passes defended.
Revisiting the historic interception
With just over two minutes remaining, Brady connected with Julian Edelman to put the Patriots up by four points. But Russell Wilson and the Seahawks were not giving up.
Despite being a rookie, cornerback Malcolm Butler was getting a lot of playing time and there was one catch that snuck past him. And he was beating himself up over it.
“After the tipped ball, I come to the sidelines and nobody really saying anything, but you can feel it. It got kind of quiet. It felt like everybody's hope was gone,” Butler said on Episode 7 of the The Dynasty. "Last year, I worked at Popeyes in Vicksburg, Mississippi. As a rookie, my first year in the NFL, I got to the Super Bowl. I know I did the best I could do, but goddamn I feel like if we lose it’s my fault.”
“I’m thinking I’m not going to get another opportunity to go back in the game. But all the sudden they say, ‘go line three corners.’ And it’s like ‘Malcolm, go,’" he added. "I was looking at Russ and I was like, he is looking over here too much. He’s looking too much.”
Butler certainly read the play correctly and was able to intercept the pass. His reaction afterwards: “I started crying. It was meant to be. It was meant to be.”
And as Tom Brady said, "That, in my view, was one of the greatest plays of any Super Bowl. It was so spectacular.”
There is no better compliment that that from the greatest player of all time who has seven rings.
