The New England Patriots and New York Giants square off annually in the final week of the NFL preseason.
This year, they’ll also share a practice field.
The Patriots and Giants “are planning joint practices” ahead of their Aug. 29 preseason finale, according to a report Wednesday from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
In a notable twist, these practices likely would be held at the Patriots’ facility at Gillette Stadium despite the game being played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
“There’s talk of the Patriots and Giants maybe alternating this annually in (the NFL’s) new (three-game) preseason format to give fans a second look at a visiting team if their club (like New England this year) has only one home exhibition on the (schedule),” Leonard reported.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss first reported the possibility of Pats-Giants joint practices in Foxboro, Mass., last month. Reiss also reported the Patriots could practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, whom they’re scheduled to face in Week 2 of the preseason (Aug. 19).
New England’s preseason schedule — which shrank from four games to three this year with the implementation of a 17-game regular-season schedule — also features a matchup with the Washington Football Team on Aug. 12.
The Patriots and Giants would be natural joint-practice fits given their coaching staff connections. New York head coach Joe Judge spent eight years as a New England assistant before landing his current job last offseason.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t confirm any upcoming joint practices during his Thursday morning video conference.
“I think that’s a possibility,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
