Thousands of fans cheered on the New England Patriots Thursday as the defending Super Bowl champions opened training camp at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Nearly six months after winning their sixth Super Bowl, Tom Brady and the rest of the team took the field to cheers ahead of their first preseason game August 8 in Detroit.
Head coach Bill Belichick told reporters last year's championship should not weigh on the minds of players.
"Every year is its own year, so we start all over again every year," Belichick said. "We're not really worried about last year."
Wide receiver Julian Edelman — reportedly out for three weeks with an injured thumb — was seen participating in conditioning work.
The upcoming season will be a major test for the Patriots, who lost star tight end Rob Gronkowski to retirement. To no surprise, some of his former teammates have said they would welcome Gronk back with open arms.
