Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t start Super Bowl 52 and didn’t appear in the game at all on defense as New England lost to the Eagles, 41-33.

He’d been sick in the run-up to kickoff and appeared with an “illness” on New England’s injury report. He appeared on special teams in the first half but was absent on defense.

“They gave up on me. Fuck. It is what it is,” Butler told ESPN afterward. He added, “I could’ve changed that game” and declined to say what was next for him. Butler is set to become an unrestricted free agent this year and might not return to Foxborough.

“I made the decisions that give us the best chance to win,” head coach Bill Belichick said, according to Michelle Tafoya on NBC’s broadcast. It is striking that the Patriots have gone to depth cornerback Johnson Bademosi on some downs before using Butler.

Butler gave this quote afterward: