From a New England Patriots perspective, the biggest story after the team's Super Bowl 52 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles was the benching of starting cornerback Malcolm Butler. After playing more than 98% of defensive snaps throughout the team's first 18 games of the season, Butler was only one the field for one special teams snap while his teammates gave up 41 points to its opponent.
The move was a head-scratcher and one that fueled speculation and “hot takes” in the days that followed: Butler was benched for disciplinary reasons. He was caught with weed and missed curfew multiple times.