Patriots' Butler unsurprised by lost starting job: I'm not playing well enough

After a rough start to the season, New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler is taking his demotion from the starting lineup in stride - though, not lightly.

Butler was not surprised to see Eric Rowe taking his spot opposite Stephon Gilmore last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints - the team he flirted with in restricted free agency last spring - but the former Pro Bowler plans to fight to get his role back.

"I haven’t been performing at the level I should be performing at," Butler said Thursday, according to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. "I've got to do whatever I've got to do to help the team... Just got to keep grinding. Keep working hard."

Butler, a second-team All-Pro corner in 2016, had hoped to get a new contract last season, but was instead signed to a one-year restricted free agent tender. Losing his starting job could certainly hurt Butler's free-agent stock next march, but he says that can't be the focus if he wants to get back on track.

"I kind of thought of it like that, but I can't worry about anything but what’s happening right now," Butler said. "Complaining or feeling sorry for myself is not going to make me perform better. I just have to keep it rolling. I’m going to get it rolling. That’s what I've got to do."

The 27-year-old admitted that he sometimes questions himself and that he's heard rumors surrounding a possible trade, though he's trying his best to ignore the distractions.