As the Patriots head into the offseason following a painful Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles, they will be tying up loose ends and trying to deal with all the necessary issues at hand.
For Bill Belichick, that will include the elephant in the room.
While the Patriots coach won’t publicly discuss his reasons for having Malcolm Butler stand on the sideline the entire game, as the cornerback didn’t see the field for a single defensive snap in the 41-33 loss, Belichick needs to discuss his rationale for benching Butler. He needs to have a dialogue with the players, or at the very least, the captains and leaders of his team.