The New England Patriots have missed two days of organized team activities this spring for violating NFL offseason rules, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
The team canceled Thursday’s OTAs, which were the first to be attended by reporters this spring, unexpectedly Wednesday. The second OTA is also held next week.
It’s unclear what rule the Patriots broke. They will not practice on May 30, and instead resume OTAs next Wednesday. The team has just six practices left before the three-day mandatory minicamp begins on June 12.
The Patriots have 10 OTAs on their schedule this offseason. The practices, which are voluntary and do not allow any contact, are monitored by the NFL Players Association for possible rules violations.
There have been several other teams penalized for OTA violations in recent years, especially when it comes to the no-contact rule. The Dallas Cowboys lost practice in 2021 and 2022 for violating that rule. The league fined Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy $100,000 and also forfeited a 2023 OTA practice as a result.
The Chicago Bears had to cancel a practice last summer for the same reason. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks, among others, have also faced similar sanctions in the past few years.
The Patriots went 8-9 in 2022-23, missing the playoffs for the second time in the last 14 seasons. Legendary coach Bill Belichick will enter his 24th season with the franchise this fall.
