The New England Patriots stepped onto the field for their first training camp practice in 2026 on Saturday.
So much has changed for the Patriots in the last year. They have gone from being the hunter to the hunted after the team’s improbable Super Bowl LX run last season. Quarterback Drake Maye is in his third NFL season and looks more like a leader than a maturing 20-something finding his way in the league.
And Mike Vrabel is in complete control of the team, which has shown a night-and-day difference since his arrival in January 2025.
The team didn’t practice in pads on Day 1 of training camp, but they picked right back up where they left off at mandatory minicamp, including 11-on-11 reps. Here are five standout players from Saturday’s practice:
QB Drake Maye
Drake Maye looked completely comfortable out there in his second year in Josh McDaniels’ offense. That’s exactly what you want to see from a third-year player coming off a season where he was the runner-up for the NFL MVP award. Maye had a beautiful deep throw to wideout Kayshon Boutte and a perfect seam throw to Hunter Henry that dropped right over the defense. It was a strong start for the All-Pro quarterback.
WR Kayshon Boutte
Kayshon Boutte had the play of the day after making a diving catch on a deep ball from Maye. It was an impressive play from a receiver who has been caught up in trade rumors throughout the offseason. Boutte is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, but he has chosen to go the route of showing up and proving himself on the football field.
So far, so good.
CB Christian Gonzalez
There have been talks about Christian Gonzalez’s level of participation at training camp. He is currently negotiating for a contract extension with the Patriots, and some worried that he might potentially hold in. That wasn’t the case on Saturday with the star defensive back stepping right into the fire of 11-on-11s and reminding everyone why he’s one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
EDGE Bradyn Swinson
The Patriots got some good news with the Gabe Jacas holdout drama finally ending. However, the rookie edge rusher wasn’t on the field to help the team on Saturday. With Harold Landry also out with a knee injury, it created an opportunity for Bradyn Swinson, who saw more work on the second-team unit. He made the most of his opportunity and even batted down a pass from backup quarterback Tommy DeVito.
EDGE Dre’Mont Jones
Dre’Mont Jones will be facing some serious pressure to at least match what K’Lavon Chaisson did for the Patriots last season. He got off to a strong start on Saturday by batting down a Drake Maye-thrown ball on a play. With Landry sidelined, Jones has become the top veteran option at the edge position.
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