Patriots Super Bowl hero confirms NFL retirement

Few players in the history of the NFL had careers as unique as former New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler. Over the weekend, Butler confirmed that career has officially come to an end.

On Saturday afternoon, NFL insider Aaron Wilson shared a video of Butler at an event in Houston. In the video, Butler says "I did the best I can do. I'm 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."

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Butler, 34, was originally signed by the Patriots as a UDFA out of West Alabama in 2014. He played four seasons in New England, including a Pro Bowl season in 2015 and All-Pro season in 2016.

In 2018 Butler signed with the Titans in free agency, and spent three years in Tennessee. He played his last NFL season in 2021 - he began the 2021 season with the Arizona Cardinals but retired at the end of training camp, then returned to the Patriots for training camp in 2022 before being placed on IR and later released in late August.

While he was a solid player throughout his time in New England, Butler's Patriots tenure is best known for him being the lead story in not one, but two Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XLIX, Butler had the game-clinching interception on the goal line. It's widely considered to be one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

Three years later, the story was that Butler wasn't on the field. The Patriots elected to bench him (minus one special teams snap) in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

Butler discussed the Super Bowl XLIX interception on the latest episode of The Dynasty. You can check out what he had to say below...

The Apple TV New England Patriots docuseries The Dynasty continued on Thursday night. This week saw the debut of episodes seven and eight, with seven mainly covering the Patriots' 2014 season - and subsequent fallout from events that happened that year.

Most of that 'fallout' related to Deflategate, the scandal that emerged from allegations coming out of the 2014 AFC Championship Game. Reports of underinflated footballs (which were initially incorrect) spurred a two-year back-and-forth between the Patriots and the NFL.

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Of course, that season also included what is arguably the greatest Super Bowl ever played, when the Patriots faced the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. That game is also sometimes referred to as Tom Brady's Mona Lisa. It also included one of the most famous single plays in Super Bowl history, with Malcolm Butler's goal line game-sealing interception.

What stood out in the latest edition of The Dynasty? Focusing mainly on newly-recorded interviews, here are the most notable quotes from Episode 7...

Kraft: "I pulled the ring out of my pocket, and I gave it to him. He put it on, and then he looked at me and he said 'I could kill someone with this ring.' So I did a whiplash and I said ' Mr. President, you could kill someone without it. You were the head of the KGB.' He took the ring off, and I had my hand out and he took the ring. He put it in his side pocket. Three KGB guys come around, and he's off...A call came in from the White House and they said 'it would be good for US-Soviet relations if you meant to give them the ring as a gift. It was unbelievable the attention it got." 

This is a pretty well-known story right now, but this is a pretty direct account from Kraft's perspective. And yes, as far as it's been reported the ring is still in Russia with Putin.

Revis: "When the Deflategate happened, and Tom was the headliner of the whole situation, he addressed us as a team. You can tell that he was distraught. He said 'this is something I wouldn't do. I would not ruin this season for us. The allegations are false.' He was actually bawling his eyes out in front of us."

Remember, Deflategate happened as the Patriots were preparing for Super Bowl XLIX. It sounds like Tom Brady gave a pretty powerful message as the team was going through both simultaneously.

Danny Amendola: "Tom can be a very fiery person. But he can also be a verry soft person. He can be very emotional. It took a massive toll on him because of his kids. Just having to listen to his kids come home from school and talk about the things they had heard from their friends or their teachers or whoever - I felt for him."

Tom Brady: "When the shots are being fired at you, you can handle it. When they're being fired at people you care about, that's when it gets hard." 

Deflategate was inescapable for all of us, and apparently Brady and his family were no exception. The idea Brady's kids were getting chirped at school about it shows just how far it went for some people.

Butler: "After the tip ball, I come to the sideline. Nobody really saying anything, but you could feel it. It got kind of quiet. It felt like everybody's hope was gone. Last year I worked at Popeyes in Vicksburg, Mississippi. As a rookie, I go to the Super Bowl. I know I did the best I could do, but, like, goddamn, I'mma 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 of a sudden they say 'Goal Line 3 Corner' and it was like 'Malcolm, go.'" 

Before he was the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, Malcolm Butler was almost the focal point of what would have been the most costly play for the Patriots. He was the defender on Jermaine Kearse's circus catch that set the Seahawks up with field position late. We often talk about players - especially cornerbacks - needing to have a short memory and being able to bounce back from a bad play when called upon. This may be the most high-level example of that there is.

Butler: "I think that's the best things I heard in my life, Tom Brady telling me that."

Following Butler's game-ending interception, on-field footage shows Brady making a point of going to find Butler right away. When he reaches him, he tells him, "Malcolm, are you f---ing kidding me? What a f---ing play! You're unbelievable man! Way to go!"

Brady: "Look, I saw venom from people that was so far beyond comprehension. But it was more about under-inflated footballs in the end. Now it's probably football lore. But at that time, it was exhausting. And at some point you just drop the rope and you go, 'okay, that's enough.'"

For better or worse, Deflategate is a defining moment of Brady's career. He sums up what it means to him at the end of the episode.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.