John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers executives may not be able to talk to New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler until March 14 (or his agent on March 12), but nothing is stopping wide receiver Pierre Garçon from doing so. The 49ers' veteran made a pitch via Twitter to get Butler to consider joining his team. San Francisco has cap space, will soon have a top-tier quarterback locked up, one of the brightest minds in football as its head coach, and a need at cornerback.
Yo yo @Mac_BZ come to The Bay. @49ers we got CAP SPACE, a QB and the best receivers in the division are on your team. You won't have to worry about the head coach being all up in the videos. All in the way and stuff. One goal in mind over here. #SB53 Let's Get It #49erFaithful
— Pierre Garçon (@PierreGarcon) February 7, 2018
Of course, Butler has been in the news since the Patriots' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. As Eagles receivers looked across the line of scrimmage, they wondered why Butler was not on the other side.
Head coach Bill Belichick's decision to not play Butler was a puzzling one and has been criticized because his presence might have changed the outcome of the game. ESPN reports that Butler had played in 97.8 percent of the team's regular-season snaps and every postseason snap. During Super Bowl LII, he played just one snap, which was on special teams.
Speculation on why Butler did not play has run rampant with theories including an inability to handle what the coaching staff was asking him to do against Philadelphia to disciplinary reasons.
Following the game, Butler told ESPN's Mike Reiss, "They gave up on me. [Expletive]. It is what it is."
On Tuesday, Butler refuted the accusations and stated that he never took part in any of the "ridiculous" activities suggested.
"During my four year career [with] the Patriots I have always given it everything I have to play at a high level, and would never do anything to hurt my teams' chances of winning a game, including this year's Super Bowl where I visited with my family every night," he wrote via Twitter. "During Super Bowl week I never attended any concert, missed curfew, or participated [in] any of the ridiculous activities being reported. They are not only false, but hurtful, to me and my family.
"Although I wish I could have contributed more to help my team win, I have to get ready for the next opportunity. Moving forward I will do what I have always done to work hard, and prepare for next season to be the best I can be on and off the field."
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady responded to Butler's statement via Instagram. "Love you Malcolm," he wrote. "You are an incredible player and teammate and friend. Always!!!!!!"
Butler's tweet also thanked his Patriots teammates and fans, making it sound like he is closing the door on his time in New England.
Butler joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has won two Super Bowls with the team in four seasons. Over the past three seasons, he has started all but one game for New England and registered 190 combined tackles, two sacks, 44 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles during that span. Butler's 2015 performance made him a Pro Bowl selection.
The cornerback is scheduled to become a free agent in March.