New England Patriots Begin Offseason Workouts: Who’s Attending Phase 1?

New England Patriots players including Christian Gonzalez are back at Gillette Stadium to kick off the team’s offseason workout program.

Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

FOXBORO — It’s beginning to look a lot like a “new era” for the New England Patriots.  

With the NFL Draft just over two weeks away, the Patriots have begun the first phase of their offseason workouts at Gillette Stadium. Though the Pats will enter 2024 with a new head coach for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, they opted to start on Monday, along with the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans — all of which also hired new head coaches. The Los Angeles Chargers, Washintgon Commanders and Atlanta Falcons began their program last Tuesday. 

Despite having the option to begin their program one week earlier — due to hiring a new head coach [Jerod Mayo] in the offseason — the Pats chose to delay their first day so that the several new faces on their coaching staff are on the same page both in message and approach to the upcoming season. 

In that vein, here is a primer of what to expect in the initial phase of the Pats offseason program. 

Jul 30, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (8) / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

What is Phase 1? 

The first phase of offseason workouts will focus solely on strength and conditioning under the discretion of Patriots coaches Deron Mayo and Brian McDonough. Per the NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are allowed to spend 90 minutes on the field each day and two hours in total at the club facility under team supervision. 

Neither individual nor group instruction drills will commence on the field until the third week of the program, scheduled for April 22. 

Who is in Attendance?

While participation in phase one of the program is voluntary, New England is already enjoying robust attendance on Day 1. Receiver Kendrick Bourne, Cornerback Christian Gonzalez and running back Rhamondre Stevenson — all of whom ended last season on injured reserve — have arrived in Foxboro for the start of the program. Veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai, defensive back Jonathan Jones and special teams ace Brendan Schooler were also among those spotted arriving on Monday morning. 

Though tight end Hunter Henry and quarterback Jacoby Brissett appear to be happily in attendance, each has a significant financial motivation to do so. Henry  received a $350,000 workout bonus via his offseason contract extension, while Brissett has the highest workout bonus on the team at $500,000, 

On a heartwarming note, longtime team captain Matthew Slater is among those in attendance, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, greeting players and providing support for Mayo and his coaching staff on their first workout program. 

Potential Impact on Jayden Daniels’ Visit?

Although Monday’s offseason workouts will undoubtedly dominate the news cycle, the collective eyes of Patriots Nation continue to be focused on the upcoming Draft. With multiple reports pointing toward the Pats using their No. 3 pick on a quarterback, they are hosting LSU’s Jayden Daniels on a pre-Draft visit at Gillette Stadium. Daniels, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, will join the team for dinner on Monday, with his official visit taking place on Tuesday. New England welcomed UNC’s Drake Maye on Friday, while Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is slated to visit Foxboro within the coming days. 

While NFL regulations prohibit Daniels from participating in workouts of any kind during his time in New England, it will be interesting to see if the highly-touted quarterback prospect is able to get a feel for the team’s vibe under Mayo and his staff. Still, the two events are expected to remain separate from each other.