New England Patriots: Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski return to the field

As the New England Patriots opened up minicamp, both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were in attendance.

This offseason, there has been some unusual drama for the New England Patriots. Going to back to last season, all has not seemed perfect in New England, as relationships between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were questioned.

However, the Patriots were able to play well through these possible distractions, as they won the AFC Championship and reached the Super Bowl. While the Brady/Belichick drama took center stage, the Patriots also had to deal with reports that Rob Gronkowski was thinking about retirement.

Gronkowski ultimately decided that he wasn’t going to retire, but that he did want to have his contract reworked. During OTAs, the Patriots were noticeably without both Gronkowski and Brady. This fueled even more speculation about their situations, but at the end of the day, it was a voluntary program.

As minicamp kicked off on Tuesday morning, both Gronkowski and Brady were in attendance.

Seeing both Gronkowski and Brady on the field was a welcomed sight, as either of them missing mandatory practice would have been an issue. As of now, the Patriots and Gronkowski have yet to rework his contract. However, him coming to the mandatory camp is a good sign that the two sides are in a good place.

For Brady, him being at minicamp is a good time for him to get used to a lot of new weapons. The wide receiving core for the Patriots looks a lot different than last year, and getting timing with some of his new teammates will be important. At over 40-years-old, Brady will be looking to make it back-to-back MVP seasons, and more importantly get his sixth ring.

Next: 2018 Quarterback roster projections

With the summer months coming up, it was very good to see Gronkowski and Brady back out there for the Patriots. Hopefully, there won’t be any more issues with either showing up to offseason activities.