Malcolm Butler showed up for Patriots’ voluntary offseason program
The Patriots' cornerback has apparently put aside his contract dispute for the time being.
Malcolm Butler is back at it with the Patriots. Only this time, it’s not in regards to his desire get a long-term contract. It’s to participate in the team’s voluntary workout program.
The 27-year-old cornerback waited for weeks to sign his first-round tender that the Patriots extended to him as a restricted free agent earlier in the offseason. Finally, only days before the deadline, Butler signed the one year contract worth $3.91 million. And now the hero of Super Bowl XLIX seems to have put the disagreement temporarily behind him.
Butler showed up to the Patriots’ facility for the voluntary offseason program. He was late, but had a reason that was reportedly not because of the contract situation:
Butler missed the first 2 weeks of the voluntary workouts – not a holdout – to tend to personal and business matters. Now back for good.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) May 3, 2017
On top of that, Butler is not attending simply to fulfill a clause in his existing contract in order to receive any kind of bonus:
Butler gets paid $3.91m this year whether he shows up to voluntary OTAs or not. It’s telling that he decided to join his teammates
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) May 3, 2017
If Butler returns to New England for the 2017 season, he would pair with newly-signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to form a formidable defensive backfield. It would potentially be one of the best cornerback duos in the Belichick era.
