According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots have been prohibited from participating in two days of organized team activities this spring owing to a breach of the NFL’s offseason regulations.
Unexpectedly on Wednesday, the team postponed Thursday’s OTA, which was scheduled to be the first press event of the spring. Next week’s second OTA was also eliminated.
It’s unclear exactly which rule the Patriots broke. On May 30, there won’t be a practice; instead, OTAs will continue the following Wednesday. Just six more workouts remain for the team before a three-day obligatory minicamp begins on June 12.
The Patriots scheduled 10 OTAs for this offseason. The NFL Players Association keeps an eye out for any potential rules infractions during the voluntary, no-contact workouts.
Several teams have received punishment for breaking the OTA in recent years, particularly when it comes to the non-contact rule. For breaking that rule, the Dallas Cowboys missed workouts in 2021 and 2022. The NFL also denied Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy access to an OTA practice in 2023 as a result of the sanction.
Last summer, the Chicago Bears were forced to postpone practice for the same reason. Among others, the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Jacksonville Jaguars have all had similar penalties in recent years.
In 2022–2023, the Patriots finished 8–9, missing the postseason for just the second time in the previous 14 seasons. This fall, renowned coach Bill Belichick will begin his 24th season with the team.
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