Brandon Browner went in on the Patriots for benching Malcolm Butler for Super Bowl 52
Former New England cornerback Brandon Browner was fed up with the Patriots’ decision to play Malcolm Butler only on special teams.
Bill Belichick told Michele Tafoya on NBC’s broadcast, “I made the decisions that give us the best chance to win.” But Browner isn’t buying that. In fact, he dedicated multiple Instagram posts to vent his frustration.
Browner claims that the decision was more of a political move on Belichick’s part rather than one made to help the team.
Here’s what Browner said during his rant:
Man, Bill wasn’t right at all tonight, man. I ain’t know how to feel watching that shit without my man, without my homie, without Malcolm. I didn’t know whether to cheer for they ass. Feel me ... That dude has started every game for that team. Feel me. Since he picked the fucking ball off and he was taking on their number one dude at that.
That shit was some power trip shit, feel me? Like to prove a point. They felt like they had the quarterback to do it with. We don’t need you as a cornerback. Man, you play every game of the season but the Super Bowl. I can’t rock with that. That was a bullshit-ass call. That was a bullshit-ass decision. That was a power trip.
You divide the locker room when you do that. Motherfuckers find out [when] a nigga ain’t playing before the game. You divide the locker room. Cats says they rocking with Malcolm and cats say they rocking with the coach’s decision.
Congratulations to the eagles, but that shit was weak. They deserve that for not playing him.
Without getting into details, Browner suggests that the Patriots overlooked their defense because of their reliance on Tom Brady.
For what it’s worth, Butler had been listed on the injury report with an illness up until Thursday. Based on his pregame quotes however, he did seem to indicate that he wanted to start on defense. He told reporters, “I ain’t got nothing to say” when asked about the decision.
Browner also had an Instagram post to Belichick, blaming his “politics” and his “stupid decision” for the Super Bowl loss:
Lost the game for us tonight, stupid decision and makes no sense. You make the decision to give us the best chance to win. But u don’t play your best cornerback. Fuck the Politics..
Though Browner seemed vocal about the decision, it was less about the Patriots inner circle and more about his friend and former teammate not getting the playing time he thought he deserved, based on the number of Instagram posts he dedicated to Butler:
He calls Butler the best defender ever and says the Patriots gave up the most yards ever in a Super Bowl because of his absence. He still managed to slight the Patriots with the hashtag #foolishpride at the end.
Browner also suggests that Butler move on from the Patriots in the offseason:
Browner played one season, in 2014, with the New England Patriots. They defeated Browner’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, in the Super Bowl. Malcolm Butler secured the victory thanks to a game-saving interception of a Russell Wilson pass at the 1-yard line:
