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when Malcolm Butler Who signed with the Patriots last month came as a surprise to many, given the strange way his last stint with the Patriots ended. But Butler says he and Patriots coach Bill Belichick have not discussed their history together.

Belichick put Super Bowl LII’s Butler off the bench for as yet unexplained reasons, and Butler left New England out of the season. Butler says that when Belichick called him last month about a comeback, the topic was not brought up.

“I don’t have much to say about it,” Butler said. “I try to live in the present. You can’t think about the past all the time. I have moved on from that. I know it will always be there, but I have never said anything to anyone about anything.”

Butler, who has returned from a short retirement, admitted he was surprised to extend Belichick’s hand.

“It was a surprise. My agent told me Bill wanted to talk to me, so I was happy. I got to work right away because I knew there was a chance to come back,” Butler said.

Butler believes that he and Belichick see eye to eye because they both want to focus on what lies ahead rather than on what happened in the past.

“I wasn’t expecting to come back to New England, but I’ve always respected the New England Patriots,” Butler said. “One thing I’ve learned, you never burn your bridges, you handle situations as a man and as a person. If I don’t, I don’t think I’ll ever have a chance to come back here. I’m sure I made a good decision to act like an adult.”