There will be no Super Bowl LII rematch on the Gillette Stadium practice fields this summer.
Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson told reporters Wednesday his team will not hold joint practices with any of its 2018 preseason opponents, ruling out the possibility of the Eagles visiting Foxboro, Mass., for a week of practice with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are scheduled to host the Eagles in Week 2 of the preseason, and head coach Bill Belichick typically chooses to have his team practice with the opposition ahead of its first and/or second exhibition contest.
New England has held at least one round of joint practices during each of its last six training camps. Last summer, the Patriots hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars for a week and practiced with the Houston Texans in West Virginia. New England’s previous joint practice partners include the Eagles, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Patriots-Eagles joint practices had the potential to be wildly entertaining, considering the teams just met on the game’s biggest stage four months ago. Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson also has taken multiple shots at Belichick and the Patriots organization in the aftermath of Philly’s Super Bowl victory, with teammate Brandon Brooks echoing some of Johnson’s taunts.
Now, it appears likely the Patriots will not take part in any joint practices for the first time since 2011. There are “no plans in the works” for New England to practice with its first preseason opponent, the Redskins, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss.
