FOXBORO — At 32 years previous, Malcolm Butler was monitoring to be one of many oldest gamers on the Patriots’ Week 1 roster and one of many few with a number of Super Bowl rings.
But after Butler’s season ended together with his placement on injured reserve Tuesday, he’ll have to attend not less than one other 12 months to don a Patriots uniform. Butler’s departure reminded three-time champion and captain Devin McCourty that there are few like him left within the locker room. So McCourty, 35, reached out to inform him to remain near the power.
“Tough, man. Malcolm’s kind of in my stratosphere of being older, and I think any time you go through that, it’s tough mentally,” McCourty stated Wednesday. “I texted him the opposite day simply from all of us … I’m lucky I’ve by no means been on IR, however the feeling of not all the time being across the staff, the camaraderie, the brotherhood we construct, you form of miss a few of that stuff that inside your group.
“(I’m) always staying in contact with those guys and encouraging them to come in.”
Fourth-year cornerback Joejuan Williams was additionally positioned on injured reserve Tuesday with a shoulder harm. McCourty talked about contacting Williams as properly, whereas the Patriots transfer ahead with a cornerbacks room that consists of Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, Terrance Mitchell, Shaun Wade, Justin Bethel and rookies Jack Jones and Marcus Jones.
Butler had been repping with the second-team protection throughout coaching camp and performed in final week’s preseason opener, when most starters sat. He didn’t follow Monday or Tuesday previous to being positioned on IR.
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