Malcolm Butler might be a Super Bowl hero, but he's not above the Patriots' strict rules on punctuality.
NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Wednesday that Butler was late for the first practice of OTAs last month after a flight cancellation led to a delayed arrival to the team complex. The Pats disciplined the promising cornerback by keeping him off the practice field for the past three weeks, according to a source close to Butler.
The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe had the first report.
Butler has been at Gillette Stadium each day of OTAs taking part in meetings, film review and weight-room sessions, according to Howe. Butler is expected to return to on-field work during this week's OTAs.
Breer reported later Wednesday that the NFL Players Association is looking into a potential violation by the Patriots of Article 21, Section 5(a) of the collective bargaining agreement, according to union sources.
Butler didn't report the matter to anyone, the source said, and isn't looking to rock the boat. Nonetheless, the union is looking into whether Butler was sanctioned for missing voluntary work, which would violate the CBA.
Breer reports that the potential violation would fall in line with teams being punished for excessive contact during spring work, which oftentimes leads to a loss of practice time.
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