Malcolm Butler is back in the fold in New England; Bill Belichick couldn’t be happier.
Butler, previously with the Arizona Cardinals, signed a two-year deal with the Patriots earlier this off-season. It was a pretty stunning development.
To the surprise of many, he’s drawn high praise from his coaches and teammates so far.
Belichick is the latest to discuss Butler’s return to Foxborough.
“Malcolm works hard, like he always has,” head coach Bill Belichick said before Tuesday’s voluntary practice, via NESN.com. “Very competitive, out there scrapping for balls. His aggressiveness, play style — we’re not in pads, but yeah, looks like it’s about the same.”
Even teammate Jonathan Jones likes what he sees from the veteran defensive back.
“Malcolm’s the same player, in my opinion,” Jones said. “He comes out, he works hard and just wants to get better every day. He hasn’t lost that itch for the game.”
Butler still have plenty to improve ahead of the 2022 season, though. After all, he sat out the 2021 season after retiring for personal reasons.
Butler’s well aware of the challenge that lies ahead.
“I feel like I have a lot to prove, especially to myself,” Butler said. “If I do it myself, I’ll prove it to my teammates at the same time. So that’s why I’m working hard every day and trying to stay focused.”
The Patriots open the 2022 season on Sept. 11 against the Miami Dolphins.