After wrapping up their mandatory minicamp last Thursday, the New England Patriots were scheduled to Gillette Stadium today for the first of two practices this week. As the team announced earlier today, however, the two organized team activity sessions have been cancelled by head coach Bill Belichick. As a result, the team will head into its summer break early — and not return to the practice fields until training camp opens.
Cancelling the voluntary OTA sessions is nothing new in New England, despite Belichick’s well-known ‘no days off’ rally cry. Last year, for example, the Patriots’ head coach also decided to erase his team’s final two spring practices from the schedule to send players and coaches home early.