Training camp week is here, and New England Patriots veterans reported on Tuesday with the first practice set to be open to the public at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Full-padded practices are not expected to start until next week, which is customary for the team. ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted a ramp-up period for players to get acclimated before taking things up a notch.
As Reiss noted, the Patriots did not have their first full-padded practice until the fifth practice of camp last season:
But the first full-pads practice, which is when coaches and players often say “real” football begins, won’t come until next week as part of the standard ramp-up period for players. Last year, for example, the Patriots’ initial full-pads work came on the fifth practice of camp.
The pads coming on should give a clearer picture of where the Patriots are at as a team ahead of the 2024 season. It will also be a much more realistic representation of individual performances.
The Patriots will be back in full swing in short order. It remains to be seen how the season will play out, but the excitement of football is in the air.