MINNEAPOLIS — Malcolm Butler’s answer came quicker than a corner blitz.

The Patriots cornerback, who will be a free agent at season’s end, was asked if, in his heart of hearts, he’d like to remain in New England.

“Most definitely. Most definitely. I want to go out like Kobe [Bryant],’’ he said, invoking the name of the Laker legend, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career in Los Angeles. “I’m not Kobe but I want to go out like Kobe.’’

It may not be financially feasible, given that the Patriots signed Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million contract last offseason. There’s only so much money a team can devote to one position.

Butler had a flirtation with the Saints last offseason as a restricted free agent but the only trade those teams could work out was the one that brought wide receiver Brandin Cooks to New England.

He came back to Foxborough and acknowledged his contract status has been a distraction.

“At times it was, but we just living,’’ said a relaxed and engaging Butler, who battled “something like’’ the flu earlier in the week. “We just living life and whatever happens is going to happen no matter what. Your life is already mapped out. So, it’s not going to do any good by thinking about it and stressing yourself out . . . You just have to live your life and be blessed that you’re still living. I’m playing the greatest sport in America for the greatest team in America. You just have to keep moving forward.’’

Butler has struggled at times this season — “I came up short,’’ was how he put it — but knows he can wipe away any bad memories with strong performance and a win Sunday evening against the Eagles.

“It can be,’’ he said. “But this is not about me. Ever since joining the New England Patriots, I have just learned that everything is not about you. I play for a team. That’s why we win. I play for a team. Everything is not about me. As long as we win, I’ll feel great.’’

The four-year veteran, who is about to play in his third Super Bowl, is always a popular figure during this week as media from around the world ask him to relive his game-clinching interception in Super Bowl XLIV.

Butler laughed when asked if he enjoys talking about the play.

“Kind of. Somewhat. Not really,’’ he said. “I’ve been trying to build my résumé. I’ve been trying to move on from that. I want to be a good player without that play. You know, I am a good player without that play. I might have come up a little short this year, but I always try to put that play behind me and build a whole other résumé.’’

He won’t deny that the pick heard ’round the world is the most-widely recognized portion of his original résumé.

“It most definitely put me on the map,’’ he said. “More attention. More criticism. More responsibility. It changed a lot. Everyone knew who I was, so I had to carry myself a certain way. I had people watching me. I had kids looking up to me. It changed a lot.’’

If he has his druthers, one thing that won’t change after this Super Bowl is his uniform.

Practice is done Every Patriot was a full participant in Friday’s practice — the lightest session of the week and the final one of the season.

“Just kind of reviewing moving the field and we did all of our special teams situations, so we just got everything one last time,’’ Bill Belichick told pool reporter Nicki Jhabvala. “Last tuneup. This is it.’’

The coach is pleased with the work the team has done this week

“I think they’ve been focused, no question,’’ he said. “There are things that are different about this game, but we’ve managed those and we’ve tried to focus on what we need to do and I think the attention level has been good . . . It’s hard to win in this league — it’s very competitive. I think we’ll be ready to go and we’ll go out there and do the best we can.’’

Prior to the practice, the team’s specialists paid a visit to U.S. Bank Stadium for a kicking session.

The entire team and their families will pay a visit to the venue on Saturday for a team photo.

Grigsby: He’s chillin’ Minnesota, with its teeth-chattering, bone-chilling temps, is a fitting destination for Patriots special teamer Nicholas Grigsby. According to the Dayton Daily News, Grigsby’s nickname is “Freezer.’’

As the story goes, Grigsby’s mom, Ernestine, gave him the moniker when he was about 4 years old because he would climb up on a chair next to the refrigerator so he could reach the freezer door. He would then scrape the frost out and eat it.

Grigsby has literally had a big impact on special teams since his arrival this season when he was plucked off the Ravens practice squad. The 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pounder has landed some huge hits on kickoff coverage and acknowledged it’s one of his favorite parts of the game.

“Definitely kickoffs,’’ he said. “Just going down there and setting the tone.’’

Grigsby, who has five tackles and countless blocks, has enjoyed learning from special teams standouts Matthew Slater, Jonathan Jones, and Johnson Bademosi.

“It’s been really good,’’ he said. “You just learn some of the things they do and just kind of piggyback off those guys.’’

Rally time The Patriots are hosting a fan rally outside the Super Bowl Live setup at Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis Saturday from 2:30-3 p.m. Patriots players on injured reserve, former players, cheerleaders, and ownership will be on hand and there will be giveaways . . . Gene Steratore will be the referee for Sunday’s game. Not sure if he’ll be bringing his index card . . . In a Player’s Tribune story, Denver’s Von Miller went into great detail about how to beat the Patriots but he buried the lead late when he said, “Basically, to beat the Patriots, you need to play the perfect game . . . And then you need a little luck.’’