Neither Trent Brown nor JuJu Smith-Schuster were on the field for any of the voluntary OTA practices open to Patriots reporters over the last two weeks.
One of them reportedly will be back in Foxboro, Mass., on Monday, while the other will remain sidelined.
Brown is expected to be in the facility when New England begins its three-day mandatory minicamp Monday, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Mike Reiss of ESPN on Sunday reported Brown attended an early OTA but was a no-show thereafter, raising concerns about a potential contract dispute. But Howe’s update indicates that Brown at least does not have plans of holding out.
That said, it’s possible Brown simply reports to Gillette Stadium but doesn’t practice, which technically would satisfy the “mandatory” aspect of minicamp but not eliminate contract speculation.
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As for Smith-Schuster, Reiss added that the veteran, versatile receiver was held out of OTAs out of an abundance of caution for a knee injury suffered during last season’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. That course of action will continue into the first day of mandatory minicamp, per Howe, with the Patriots not looking to rush their top free-agent acquisition back onto the field.
New England will practice Monday from 11:15 a.m. ET through 1:25. Follow NESN.com for updates on both attendance and player performances.
Featured image via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
