Former New England Patriots DL Blasts Bill Belichick's 'Disrespect'
The New England Patriots got to see several old friends during Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
From Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels, New England's longtime offensive coordinator, to quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, to receiver Jakobi Meyers, former Patriots were everywhere for the Silver and Black. However, the reunion wasn't very happy for one former Patriot in particular.
Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler spent the first four years of his career with the Patriots, but doesn't seem to have much fondness for his former team. After Sunday's game, Butler did not hold back on former coach Bill Belichick after the six-time Super Bowl champion apparently snubbed him.
"It did make me very upset that Bill didn't even have the respect for me to say anything after the game," Butler said in the locker room. "Not even congratulating me. You don't tell me, ‘You look good’ or ‘You don't look good,’ whatever. ‘Kiss my ass.' Something. But he didn't say anything. So, kind of felt disrespected. It made me feel bad.
"I know coach Belichick has bigger things to worry about. Obviously, they going through a tough time. But I mean, geez, wave. Something. But, nothing."
Bill Belichick shakes hands with former assistant Josh McDaniels Sunday in Las Vegas.
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The fact that Belichick's postgame formalities are brief shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, as the Patriots coach is known for his cold and gruff exterior. Even his postgame handshake with McDaniels, who coached under Belichick for nearly two decades, was abrupt.
Some players and coaches respond to that approach differently, though. Meyers also said he didn't get to meet with Belichick on Sunday, but didn't take offense to it at all. Instead, Meyers just said "Nah. It's cool, though" when asked about not meeting his former coach.
An undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, Butler played in New England from 2017 to 2020. He started just 12 of the 63 games he played with the Patriots, but became a solid rotational piece of the defensive line with 15 sacks in his tenure. Butler left to join the Miami Dolphins in 2021, but did not play in 2022 before arriving in Sin City this offseason.
After his comments on Sunday, it doesn't seem like Butler feels bad about leaving New England.
