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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Patriots training camp: Everything fans need to know as practices begin in Foxboro
Wednesday marks the start of a brand new era of NFL football in New England, with a former Patriot and fan favorite now serving as the sideline boss in Foxboro. Super Bowl champ Mike Vrabel will be calling the shots when the Patriots conduct their first training camp practice on the grass fields behind Gillette Stadium. Veterans and rookies have reported to Foxboro, and it's now time to hit the field to begin preparing for the 2025 season. Wednesday's practice begins at 10:15 a.m., but gates will open to fans at 9:15 a.m. There will also be a pet adoption with animal shelters on site. The Patriots will also hold public practices this week on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Later this summer, New England will welcome the Washington Commanders to Foxboro for a joint practice on Aug. 6 ahead of their preseason opener on Aug. 8. What to know if you're heading to training camp: Important reminders for fans All practices are free of charge Bags will be checked by security No coolers, video cameras, noisemakers allowed No pets permitted unless it's a service animal Concessions available with cashless payment only The entire training camp practice schedule Wednesday, July 23 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Thursday, July 24 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Friday, July 25 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:00 a.m. Practice Begins Saturday, July 26 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Sunday, July 27 No Public Practice Monday, July 28 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:30 a.m. Practice Begins Tuesday, July 29 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Wednesday, July 30 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Thursday, July 31 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:00 a.m. Practice Begins Friday, August 1 No Public Practice Saturday, August 2 No Public Practice Sunday, August 3 No Public Practice Monday, August 4 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Tuesday, August 5 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:00 a.m. Practice Begins Wednesday, August 6 Joint practice with the Washington Commanders 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Thursday, August 7 No Public Practice Friday, August 8 7:30 p.m. Patriots Preseason Opener | New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders Saturday, August 9 No Public Practice Sunday, August 10 9:15 a.m. Gates Open 10:15 a.m. Practice Begins Here are some key storylines as camp opens: New head coach in Foxboro Vrabel, a former three-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker with the Patriots, will be tasked with turning around a team that finished 4-13 in the 2024 season. Vrabel's most recent head coaching experience was with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023, where he compiled a 54-45 record, including 3 playoff appearances, an AFC Championship Game appearance, and an AP Coach of the Year award in the 2021-22 NFL season. After Vrabel was hired in January, Boston 25's Butch Stearns sat down with the Patriots Hall of Famer to discuss forging a new legacy in New England, his past coaching experience, and his vision for the new culture in Foxboro. He is the 16th head coach in Patriots history. Year 2 of Drake Maye Promising second-year quarterback Drake Maye is gearing up to lead the Patriots in a full-time role after starting 12 games in 2024. Maye flashed upside in those games, completing 66% of his passes for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. The 22-year-old, who was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, also showed the ability to impact games with his legs, rushing for 421 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries. Maye now gets an opportunity to flourish under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who orchestrated many prolific scoring attacks alongside the great Tom Brady. Maye is also now a married man. He got hitched to his longtime sweetheart in June. Maye and Ann Michael Hudson met in middle school, continued their relationship at the University of North Carolina, and got engaged in January. Key offseason additions Will Campbell The Patriots drafted Will Campbell out of Louisiana State University with the fourth overall pick in April's draft. There is high hope he can hold the left tackle position along the offensive line, protecting Maye's back for years to come. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) and rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams (Washington State) could also play major roles within the offense. Stefon Diggs Star wide receiver Stefon Diggs joined the Patriots in the offseason after suffering an ACL tear last October. Vrabel says Diggs won't have any limitations at the start of camp. Diggs, now 31, has played for the Vikings, Bills, and Texans over 10 seasons. He had piled up five consecutive seasons with more than 100 receptions before the injury limited him to just eight games in 2024. Diggs should give the Patriots a dynamic, downfield aerial threat in the passing game. Other notable offseason additions Defensive tackle Milton Williams Cornerback Carlton Davis Linebackers Robert Spillane and Harold Landry Offensive tackle Morgan Moses Wide receiver Mack Hollins Center Garrett Bradbury For more information on Patriots training camp, click here. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why is Vegas so high on the Patriots … but the national media isn't?
FOXBORO, Mass. — Optimism abounds here as training camp opens for the New England Patriots. A new coach and second-year quarterback have a way of doing that. Add in an easy schedule, and hope among the locals is high for what the 2025 NFL season could bring. But I was struck recently by how that doesn't seem to match the national narrative, even as BetMGM has listed the team's over/under win total at 8.5. In an episode of The Athletic Football Show earlier this month, I was similarly struck by how hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman were shocked by the hopefulness of that prospective win total, suggesting a better number was around 6.5. Advertisement Then last week, our Vic Tafur listed taking the under on the Patriots' win total as one of his best preseason bets. 'We like Mike Vrabel fine,' he wrote, 'but to hear people talk this offseason, the new Patriots coach is a combination of Vince Lombardi and Bill Belichick. … Quarterback Drake Maye and the young secondary of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III are fine, but overpaying new defensive players and bringing in (Stefon) Diggs and Shoeless Mack Hollins doesn't add up to nine wins.' Essentially, much of the national discussion comes down to this: Did a team that is 8-27 in its last 35 games really get so much better that it'll challenge that 8.5-win number this season? As the Patriots conduct their first training camp practice on Wednesday (after getting some good news on the injury front Tuesday), let's look at the reasons the Patriots are projected to at least double their win total from last season. LIVE: Mike Vrabel Press Conference 7/22: — New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 22, 2025 Even while recognizing how much the Patriots have improved both on and off the field, this is the most important place to start. Sometimes in the NFL, you're facing an uphill battle simply because of how the schedule shakes out. But the Pats are set up pretty favorably. Based on projected win totals, the Patriots have the second-easiest schedule in the NFL (only the 49ers' is easier). Based on last season's win percentage, they have the third-easiest schedule (only the 49ers' and Saints' are easier). But there's more. Individual games through an 18-week season are so variable that sports books generally don't offer odds for every single game in a season for more than just a brief moment to create headlines. But when those initial odds were posted, the Patriots were favorites in 11 of their 17 games. Advertisement So how then is the over/under only 8.5? That's because the Patriots were narrow favorites in a lot of games, like being favored by only 1.5 against the Steelers in Week 3, the Titans in Week 7 and the Jets in Week 17. Meanwhile, they're heavy underdogs in a few others, getting 8.5 points at Buffalo in Week 5 and at Baltimore in Week 16. Still, this is an easy schedule. They play the relatively weak NFC South as their NFC crossover and the AFC North as their in-conference crossover. That's in addition to a pair of easy games against the last-place finishers from the AFC South (Titans) and NFC East (Giants). Seemingly every year, there's a quarterback who takes a big leap forward in his second season. There are plenty of candidates to do it this season, including Caleb Williams, Michael Penix, Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy. But why not Maye? The quarterback had the worst situation around him in the NFL last season and still passed the eye test with some high-level throws. If the O-line is stabilized after drafting Will Campbell (and signing Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses), Stefon Diggs gives them juice at wide receiver and Josh McDaniels gets more out of the offense, Maye could take a meaningful step forward. There are no definitive rankings of NFL coaching staffs considering all of the immeasurables inherent in the profession. But it's safe to assume the Patriots staff last year would have ranked 32nd in the NFL. It had inexperience across the board. Now, Vrabel brings an experienced and established group that also blends in younger coaches with time spent in a variety of schemes. Vrabel was arguably the most sought-after coach on the market this offseason for a reason. Simply going from Jerod Mayo to Vrabel is a big improvement and a reason for confidence when contemplating whether the Patriots can more than double their 2024 win total. Advertisement A roster that was devoid of talent at so many key spots last season gets a boon from highly drafted players at left tackle, running back and wide receiver, while also adding Diggs, DT Milton Williams, LB Robert Spillane and CB Carlton Davis in free agency. That's not enough to make the Patriots a Super Bowl contender, but it's a meaningful improvement over what the team had last season. Training camp will go a long way in determining how many wins I ultimately predict for the Patriots, but for now, I'm on the fence between eight and nine. While the improved roster and Vrabel's addition help, the weak schedule is the biggest reason to expect more wins. Their non-division home games are against the Browns, Raiders, Steelers, Panthers, Falcons and Giants. Even if this roster isn't one that you'd normally look at and expect nine wins out of, the schedule is soft enough that you can expect them to double last season's win total.
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel roasts reporter for not paying attention during training camp media session
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Mike Vrabel may not be Bill Belichick, but the veteran head coach who now leads the New England Patriots channeled him on Tuesday after not liking a reporter's question. Why exactly? He had just answered it from a different reporter. The reporter in question was the Boston Globe's Ben Volin, who asked Vrabel how he felt about how his squad came into Patriots camp on day one. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Vrabel, clearly ticked off, answered rather quickly. "Whether you were in a coma when I answered Tom's question, or typing on your phone or tweeting, I don't know. But I spent five minutes answering that question. I can go back through it, but I'd rather not," Vrabel said. PATRIOTS COACH 'AWARE' OF STEFON DIGGS VIDEO INVOLVING MYSTERIOUS PINK SUBSTANCE ON A BOAT Some may view Vrabel's response as one he didn't have to give Volin, but the reporter owned up to not paying attention to the previous answer from the new head coach after posting on X. "Flag on the play. 5 yard penalty. Total lack of focus," Volin replied after the video of him and Vrabel's exchange went viral. Patriots reporters are used to no-nonsense, stern responses up at the lectern given Belichick's years of monotone answers to questions. Vrabel can be more animated, but he was once a player underneath Belichick and his own coaching style has similarities. He expects everyone to do their jobs correctly and efficiently — even reporters in the press room. The Patriots let Jerod Mayo, a former New England teammate of Vrabel's, go after just one season as their head coach in 2024. New England went 4-13 under Mayo, which was the worst mark in the AFC East last year. Vrabel was considered a frontrunner for the Patriots job last offseason when Belichick and the team mutually parted ways, but he ultimately never found a new head coaching gig after being let go by the Tennessee Titans following six seasons as their head coach. After a year-long hiatus, Vrabel is back in the saddle with a New England team looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2021. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With new blood, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs, in the building to go along with cornerstone pieces like quarterback Drake Maye, the storylines in Foxborough are expected to be abundant this season. Vrabel, though, clearly hopes those stories don't involve repeat questions. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mike Vrabel scolds reporter for not paying attention in feisty Patriots press conference
Pay attention, New England media, Mike Vrabel's first training camp as Patriots coach is now in session. One Boston reporter learned that lesson the hard way Tuesday when they received a scolding from the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning linebacker-turned-head coach at a press conference after posing a similar question that Vrabel had already answered about how players utilized their time away from the facility. 'I mean, whether you were in a coma when I answered Tom's [Curran] question, typing on your phone or tweeting, I don't know, but I spent five minutes answering that question. I can go back through it, but I'd rather not,' Vrabel said. Advertisement 3 Mike Vrabel scolded a Boston reporter during a Patriots press conference in July 2025. Youtube/Patriots The Boston Globe's Ben Volin was on the receiving end of the Vrabel call-out and flagged himself for a 'total lack of focus.' As Tuesday's press conference continued, Vrabel provided further context on the players' conditioning and expressed hope that he wouldn't have to repeat himself down the line. Advertisement 'We won't know — we did pretty good on the linear run test, which they practiced; they knew what it was going to be. The big thing will come when they're in line contact. You're sitting there, you're wrestling with a guy, and then the D-lineman's rushing, he almost gets to the quarterback, but we're telling him to plant, run and go sprint to the football, and then go do it again. Or, we're asking Kyle Williams to go run a post, and he didn't get the ball, but he wanted to get the ball, but he didn't. Can he run back, get set and know what to do the next play? That's really where we'll see. So, I'll be able to answer that question, again, hopefully only once, in a few days,' he said. 3 Mike Vrabel was hired as the Patriots' head coach in January 2025. Eric Canha-Imagn Images Vrabel, 49, is tasked with restoring the Patriots to their glory days following a string of dreadful seasons under his former coach, Bill Belichick, and fellow New England alum Jerod Mayo, who was fired in January after an embarrassing 4-13 campaign. Advertisement He spent the 2024 season as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Browns after being fired by the Titans in January of that year following six seasons at the helm. A winning culture is at the forefront of Vrabel's game plan entering training camp. 3 He coached the Titans for six seasons before his January 2024 firing. AP 'I have to continue to teach, develop and make connections with our guys. Through that, preparing them to win, and the situations, getting them to understand that there's different ways to win a football game. There's a lot of ways to lose them, but we want to focus on the ways that we're going to win, and sometimes that's going to be different each and every week with whatever that plan to win is each and every week. I have to try to do that. I have to get our coaches to do that and get our players to understand that,' he said. Advertisement The Patriots open the season at home against the Raiders on Sept. 7.
Toronto Star
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Mike Vrabel ‘not messing around' as he prepares for 1st training camp as Patriots coach
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Mike Vrabel was hired as New England Patriots coach seven months ago to recalibrate a team that hasn't won a playoff game since its most recent Super Bowl win in the 2018 season, and has slumped to 4-13 finishes the past two seasons. Everything Vrabel has done, from hiring his coaching staff to building out the roster through free agency and the draft, has been about laying a foundation for his first season.
