Patriots Country

Patriots Welcome Super Bowl Hero Back for Reunion Opener

The New England Patriots will welcome a Super Bowl hero back in their season opener against the Seahawks.

Evan Massey

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots are set to play their 2024 home opener this Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Seahawks. After a huge Week 1 win there is a lot of excitement within the Patriots' fan base.

To begin the game, New England will be welcoming home former Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler. He is scheduled to do the Keeper of the Light duties before the game.

Butler, who came through with the crazy goal line interception for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, will be the one ringing the bell on top of the stadium's new lighthouse prior to the team coming onto the field. He will be joined by 20 of his former teammates.

Kayla Burton of NBCS Boston made the report about Butler's role for this week's matchup.

Looking back at Butler's career, he played just four years with the team and three years with the Tennessee Titans. He played in 100 career games, racking up 406 total tackles to go along with three sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 17 interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, and 83 defended passes.

He had a very successful NFL career, although there was no play bigger than his Super Bowl interception.

Prior to the start of the regular season, the national media gave New England brutal predictions for the 2024 season. While they can't be called a playoff contender, they certainly proved that they're not a team to be taken lightly.

Jerod Mayo has the team playing an old-school smashmouth style of football. They play very aggressively on the defensive side of the ball and they deploy a run-first offense.

They may not make games look pretty, but they're going to be a very difficult team to beat.

All of that being said, fans are excited for the home opener this weekend. Butler will be on hand to help kick off the season and it brings back all of the memories of the dominant Super Bowl runs.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Evan Massey

EVAN MASSEY

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