5 Key Takeaways From New England Patriots-Philadelphia Eagles Joint Practices: Day 1

The Philadelphia Eagles have landed in Foxboro.

After months of anticipation, the most widely discussed practices of the NFL offseason are officially underway, as the New England Patriots played host to Philadelphia today for the first of two joint practice sessions that precede Saturday evening’s second preseason bout. From a key matchup on the boundary to an honest evaluation of the trenches, New England’s first look at one of the league’s most talented opponents sparked intrigue, generated questions, and delivered fireworks on and off the field.

Here are five key takeaways from day one of the Patriots’ joint practice sessions against the Eagles:

The obvious headliner entering Wednesday was A.J. Brown. The former Philadelphia wide receiver was acquired by New England in a blockbuster June 1 trade, and has since asserted himself as the de facto number-one option in the Patriots’ passing attack. 

Prior to suiting up for a regular season contest as a member of his new squad, Brown stood face-to-face with the ghosts of his past on the practice fields that flank Gillette Stadium. Squaring off with the likes of cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and the newly-added Riq Woolen, Brown’s reunion was set to be anything but cordial. And it didn’t disappoint.

Brown arrived at day one of joint practices against Philadelphia greeted by a hefty helping of boo-birds from Eagles’ fans in attendance, which amplified quickly after his first target versus Mitchell in one-on-one drills — a vertical route — was tightly contested and fell incomplete. 

He quickly took over when the whistle blew to begin 11-on-11’s, hauling in a reception on a dig route versus Woolen on the first passing snap of full team periods. That production ramped-up as the teams moved through 7-on-7 drills, with Brown catching three of Drake Maye’s four completions — highlighted by a contested grab over Mitchell and a separate victory on a slant route.

As the practice wore on, so did Brown on the Eagles’ secondary. Later in team drills, Brown was credited with the catch-of-the-day: a sideline connection where Maye dropped the ball right in the bucket over Woolen for a toe-tapping grab 20-plus yards downfield. Brown finished the day hauling in all seven of his targets during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods.

Aside from their first attempt of the day in one-on-ones, Brown cemented his status as an elite top-option in the New England offense in his first showing against his former team. He was as-advertised against the highest level of external competition he’s faced thus far as a member of the Patriots.

The intensity leading into Wednesday’s joint practice session lived up to the anticipation, even before the two squads began taking reps. 

Philadelphia was welcomed to Foxboro with a host of boos from the 12,000-plus fans in attendance at Gillette Stadium, modeling the feeling of game days soon-to-come in the fall. That extended to the players on the field, as Patriots’ defensive tackle and former-Eagle Milton Williams flashed “the bird” to the birds while they were preparing for their first set of drills.

The feeling was mutual, as tempers began to flare when the field goal units took center stage mid-way through practice. Following Andy Borregales’ first attempt, a scuffle broke out — with Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter and Jalyx Hunt at the center of a pushing and shoving match that New England head coach Mike Vrabel stepped into the middle of to disperse.

Vrabel headlined joint practices with the Washington Commanders last year when he broke up a fight and cut his face open in the process. It doesn’t seem like much has changed one calendar year later. We’ll see if that same passion is brought back tomorrow, or if the two teams will dial back the force to avoid any flare-ups on the rare second day of joint practices.

Wednesday’s session was labeled as a “measuring stick” for the Patriots by Vrabel prior to practice kicking off, and perhaps the greatest evaluation of how their talent stacked up lied in the trenches. Laying claim to some of the league’s best offensive and defensive line units, New England was set to have their hands full on both fronts against Philadelphia. 

The starting offensive line was a bright spot for the Patriots against the Eagles, as Will Campbell and Alijah Vera-Tucker were credited with opening several wide running lanes for Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to exploit in team drills. They also held up well in one-on-ones, with Jared Wilson recording a notable victory against defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Mike Onwenu with a win over Carter. 

Campbell’s offseason progress was put to the test all day, resulting in a mixed bag for the second-year left tackle. Campbell was impressive in one-on-one drills and in the running game, but gave up back-to-back pressures against Hunt during team periods.

New England’s defensive line also put together a promising performance during Wednesday’s joint practice. Philadelphia’s stout front line was able to control the line of scrimmage at the outset of the session, but wore down as the day went along — opening up opportunities for several free defensive rushers.

Lining up across from one of the NFL’s best offensive line units in recent years, the Patriots’ first-and-second team defensive fronts were able to shake off a sluggish start to one-on-ones with decisive wins by Milton Williams and Gabe Jacas on bull rushes.

In 11-on-11’s, the pressure package continued to get home as Jacas, Cory Durden, Dre’Mont Jones, and Elijah Ponder all penetrated into the Philadelphia backfield early. In an aggressive approach to the one-minute drill at the end of practice, Craig Woodson, Kevin Byard III and Christian Barmore registered would-be sacks on consecutive plays to start. Defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr’s affinity for bringing extra heat has been a constant through camp, and has extended into simulated high-pressure, late-game scenarios during practices.

Although not as one-sided as the one-on-ones against the Indianapolis Colts were last week, the Patriots’ receiving corps still showed poise against the Eagles on Wednesday. 

DeMario Douglas energized fans in attendance early with a decisive victory on a corner route against cornerback Cooper DeJean. He followed that up with two more wins over DeJean in solo drills. Mack Hollins also hauled in an impressive connection on deep-go from Maye, besting Philadelphia’s Ambry Thomas in coverage.

When 11-on-11’s began, Maye took over. He finished the first team period a perfect three-for-three including the 20-plus yard gain to Brown, and also hit Douglas and Kyle Williams during that stint. New England’s offense was noticeably quicker in their pace between snaps as they continue to work on the up-tempo/no-huddle game through camp.

Williams especially shined in one-on-ones with crisp routes against Kelee Ringo and former-Patriot Isaiah Bolden, while Kayshon Boutte drew applause during 7-on-7’s with another highlight-reel grab over Woolen — a result that is becoming commonplace during daily New England practices this summer. Maye wrapped up that session completing four-of-six passes, including three to Brown.

When 11-on-11’s resumed, so did Maye’s hot streak. Through three full team periods, Maye completed each of his first eight passes to seven different receivers and extended that streak all the way to 13 before a ball hit the grass.

Romeo Doubs was also active with Maye and the starting offense with notable wins on a comeback route against Woolen in one-on-ones and a sideline connection over Mitchell in team drills. Doubs has exploded with several contested catches over the past week, and that forward momentum kept rolling against the Eagles on Wednesday.

The offense’s production slowed during the one-minute drill at the end of practice, but still salvaged the situation with an Andy Borregales field goal from 50-plus yards to end the drive and conclude their day. Maye’s first incompletions of the day came in the waning moments of practice, and he finished the day completing 16 of his 19 passing attempts in 11-on-11 periods.

New England’s defense rebounded in a big way after an up-and-down showing in coverage against Indianapolis last week.

Second-year safety Craig Woodson started the party for the Patriots’ secondary with two interceptions to begin 7-on-7 drills, and Marcus Jones followed that up with a pick-six against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ top offensive unit.

In a sequel-showing to his extraordinary performance against the Colts, safety John Saunders Jr. registered another interception against rookie quarterback Cole Payton. He grabbed two on Riley Leonard last week: one in New England’s joint practice against the Colts, and another in Thursday night’s preseason opener. Saunders always seems to be where the play is, and is firmly in the mix for a roster spot when cutdown day arrives.

In the one-minute drill to end practice, Kevin Byard III welcomed Dallas Goedert into the action with a physical pass breakup and blanketing coverage on the tight end’s attempted dig route. The Patriots won that period on defense, stopping Philadelphia’s offense in-bounds as the game clock struck zero and capping off an outstanding showing from the starters on both sides of the ball.

New England passed their greatest early-test of the 2026 season with flying colors against a talented Eagles’ team. Offensively, Maye, Brown and the passing attack looked as crisp as they have all summer, while the running game began to find more solid ground to supplement their aerial production. Defensively, Kuhr’s aggressive approach led to several sacks and takeaways — continuing a theme of ball disruption that dates back through last season and has intensified at the onset of this fall.

The two teams return to the practice field tomorrow for one more inter-squad showdown before their preseason contest on Saturday night.

What were your biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ first joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.

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