The New England Patriots announced that they will be hosting the Philadelphia Eagles for a week of joint practices during training camp.
The news presents the most obvious storyline of the summer, which is, of course, new Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown reuniting with his former team.
"Eagles-Patriots’ joint practice in Foxborough on August 19-20, when New England wide receiver AJ Brown will get the opportunity to go against his former teammates," Adam Schefter announced on X.
Brown did not leave Philadelphia on good terms. Several unconfirmed reports indicate that the problems inside Philadelphia's locker room stemmed from a very emotional controversy.
The reception will almost certainly be mixed. Brown will likely be all smiles with his former teammates before practice, posing for the media and taking photographs together. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the tone shift the second the pads start thumping, as they so often do.
Many Patriots fans were famously introduced to first-year head coach Mike Vrabel when he jumped in the middle of a joint practice training camp brawl last summer.
Vrabel emerged bloody, further setting the tone that his AFC Champion squad would play with all season.
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