What stood out from Patriots training camp Day 1

Patriots training camp is officially underway.

On Saturday, the reigning AFC champions took the practice fields at Gillette Stadium for the first time this summer, holding a nearly two-hour non-padded practice in front of thousands of fans.

“The support has been fantastic,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “We have a very knowledgeable fan base. They know what good football looks like; they know what bad football looks like. When we play good football, they support that, enjoy that, embrace that. We were able to give that to them, and in turn they gave us their support, their energy — everything we needed, especially in those playoff games down the stretch.”

Here are the biggest takeaways from Day 1 of training camp.

Gabe Jacas finally signs his rookie contract

When asked about Gabe Jacas’ whereabouts before practice on Saturday, Mike Vrabel said he didn’t believe the second-round pick was even in New England.

Well, he should be soon.

As the Patriots opened practice, news broke that the team and Jacas had finally agreed to terms on his rookie contract. According to reports, it’s a four-year, $8.6M deal.

Jacas made a brief appearance at the team’s rookie minicamp in May before leaving the area. He then missed OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and the first day of training camp. The 22-year-old entered training camp as the only non-quarterback from the 2026 draft class who had yet to sign his rookie contract.

Vrabel has revealed that Jacas underwent surgery during the offseason but declined to provide further details, including whether the Patriots were aware of the procedure before drafting him.

“I mentioned that Gabe had a surgery to take care of some things, and that’s where we’re at,” Vrabel said on Friday. “And again, like I said, we’re going to evaluate him when he gets here. I know that Jim [Whalen] and Frank [Piraino] have been in contact with him throughout the summer.”

The Patriots traded up to select the Illinois edge rusher with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft after he started all 12 regular-season games last season, recording 43 tackles (23 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, six quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and one pass breakup.

His 11 sacks led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally during the regular season.

Robert Kraft says the Patriots have offered Christian Gonzalez a record contract

The ongoing contract discussions between the Patriots and Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez have been one of, if not the biggest, storylines of the offseason.

Gonzalez, who is entering his fourth season with the Patriots after being selected 17th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, is extension-eligible for the first time in his career. He has two years remaining on his rookie contract and is set to earn a base salary of $2.259 million this season.

Speaking before practice on Saturday, Robert Kraft revealed the Patriots have already made Gonzalez an offer that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, a title currently held by Rams corner Trent McDuffie after he signed a four-year, $124 million extension in March.

“We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person, and that’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL. And coincidentally, it is the highest contract in Patriots franchise history,” Kraft said. “So we’re glad we drafted him, he’s developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”

As of now, the largest contract in Patriots franchise history belongs to Milton Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million deal ($26 million annually) with $63 million guaranteed in March 2025.

Interestingly, Gonzalez shares the same agent as Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who is also eligible for his first contract extension and is expected to land a top-of-the-market deal.

“I don’t think they have anything to do with one another,” Vrabel said Friday. “We’re not negotiating with the Seahawks; we’re negotiating with Christian’s representatives. I don’t think that there’s anything different than just our communication with him.

There was another encouraging sign Saturday, as Gonzalez, who sat out the live 11-on-11 team periods during mandatory minicamp, was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, albeit a non-padded session.

His presence on the field didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.

“I think that shows his main focus, and that’s football. He’s the best corner in the league in my opinion,” Drake Maye said. “He’s not the big rah-rah guy. He does it his own way, but he does it at the highest level. So I’m glad to be his teammate. We’re around the same age, and I tell him, “Will [Campbell], that he’s my rook because I was a first-round pick and Will’s the next. But Gonzo’s someone I look up to, even at the same age. I look up to how he does things, how he handles himself, and the swagger he has in his own way. I think it’s great to see him out here playing around. And I think you saw it in the locker room before. Everybody was wondering, “What’s Gonzo going to do?” And he’s coming out here, and first play, he’s guarding A.J. in man coverage.”

The debut of coach DeAndre Hopkins

Five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time First Team All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins made his coaching debut on Saturday.

The 34-year-old, who spent the last 13 years in the NFL with stops in Houston, Arizona, Tennessee, Kansas City, and most recently Baltimore, is serving as an advisor with the Patriots at the start of training camp as he explores a potential future in coaching.

“He and I talked, and he asked if he could come hang out for a couple days and be around the coaches and be around the personnel department,” Vrabel said. “I called the league and made sure that that was going to be okay, and then I invited him back. That’s where he’s been the last couple days, and he’ll be here for the next couple of days.”

Hopkins has a history with Vrabel. The two were together in Houston when Vrabel served as the Texans’ linebackers coach from 2014-16 and defensive coordinator in 2017. Years later, Hopkins signed with Vrabel’s Titans as a free agent in 2023 and went on to record his seventh career 1,000-yard receiving season.

On Saturday, the future Hall of Famer worked with the Patriots’ wide receivers, assisting receivers coach Todd Downing.

“It’s been really good. I mean, it’s my first time seeing D-Hop in person,” Romeo Doubs said. “I know he’s been an amazing receiver in this league. So just to have his aura, his energy around. It’s also a huge help just in our offense. It feels good to be around him.”

Added Drake Maye, “I mean, I’m from the South and DeAndre Hopkins went to Clemson, which is two hours down the road. So, anybody of that kind of player- that’s my era of watching college football, and seeing him in the NFL, having him on my fantasy team. So, it’s cool to shake his hand, and his hands are twice as big as mine. And just having him be out here, share some information, and just be a young adult and a great player in this league, a legendary player to play at a high level and share some information is awesome.”