During Super Bowl LII on Sunday night, one of the biggest storylines was the absence of New England Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Malcolm Butler from the contest, apart from special teams.

A clear-cut reason for Butler being kept off the field for the biggest game of the year hasn't been given. Head coach Bill Belichick commented on the situation by giving an indirect response that only further clouded the entire ordeal, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.

“I respect Malcolm’s competitiveness and I am sure that he felt like he could have helped,” Belichick said. “I am sure other players felt the same way, but in the end, we have to make the decisions that we feel are best for the football team and that is what we did, that is what I did. That’s really all I can say about it.”

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Butler was set to play without any injuries limiting his play in any fashion, as he only took the field for one play on a punt return. All of this gives off the vibe that there may have been some internal issues that came about just prior to the game. Keep in mind, fellow cornerback Eric Rowe didn't even know he was starting in place of the 27-year-old until shortly before kickoff.

It can be argued that his absence had a major impact on the outcome of the game, as he is an important piece to the Patriots' secondary. This, along with the Eagles using many formations that involved three wide receivers to push New England to move safeties out of their comfort zones, contributed to the Eagles' success in the passing game.

There is clearly much more to this situation that is being let on at this point in time. It's expected that Butler will leave in free agency, where he is sure to attract plenty of interest.