McCourty: Patriots players knew Butler wouldn't start Super Bowl

Malcolm Butler's absence in Super Bowl LII was a mystery to many, but not to New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty and his teammates.

"We all knew he wasn't starting all week," McCourty told Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. "That wasn't a secret to the guys on the team."

After playing nearly 98 percent of snaps during the regular season and starting New England's first two playoff games at cornerback, Butler was stunningly benched in the Super Bowl. He got on the field just once against the Philadelphia Eagles on a special teams play early in the game.

It's still unknown why he lost his spot, and the Patriots' defense struggled without him en route to a 41-33 loss. Speculation surfaced afterward that Butler was involved in an off-field incident in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, though McCourty dispelled such theories.

Related: Butler denies reports he was benched for team rule violation

"As far as I know, all of that is the furthest thing from the truth ..." he said.

"I get why people are fishing. The guy played 98 percent of the plays. ... It's just not true. As far as I know - and I was there all week - not one time did anything come up."

Butler is set to become a free agent in March after spending the first four seasons of his career in New England. He remains famous for his improbable goal-line interception that sealed Super Bowl XLIX for the Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks.