The Patriots began their first of two joint practices with the Colts this week, ahead of their preseason opener on Thursday, and it was the first time we got to see the newly revamped roster against some real opponents this summer.
Although it's not a clear indication of just how good the team could be or what their biggest weaknesses are, it's always a positive thing to see how they compare to others in the league, even if that team is one like the Colts, who completely fell off after a hot start in 2025.
For the most part, the practice went as usual, with cornerback Sauce Gardner airing his frustrations online about a rep that A.J. Brown dominated him on, and there wasn't much else to say.
However, with the Eagles coming to town next week for their preseason matchup, expectations are much higher for what might happen on the practice field, particularly around A.J. Brown against his former team.
There has already been a lot of conversation about how the Eagles' defense will line up against the Patriots' newest WR1, with many analysts and fans suggesting they might be a bit tougher on him since their split wasn't the most amicable.
That might be what inevitably happens, especially since superstar defensive end Jalen Carter has already sent a warning to New England ahead of their joint practices.
The Eagles are going to bring the fire when they join the Patriots for joint practice next week
While speaking to ESPN's Tim McManus on Tuesday, Carter was asked about the competitive nature of joint practices, and it didn't take long for the defender to make it clear he wouldn't take it easy on the Patriots.
In fact, he let it be known that he is ready to battle if anything gets out of hand.
“If I was to get into any altercations, I don’t try to start them, I just finish them.”
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) August 11, 2026
With Eagles-Patriots joint practices coming up, Jalen Carter talks about the edge he tries to bring in those settings. pic.twitter.com/hQ9dvYjQdi
Given how Brown's time ended in Philadelphia, it could be that Carter is focused on that and the fact that the Patriots are the team that got him.
On top of that, there are plenty of Eagles fans who still believe there was some slimy work done because of Mike Vrabel's connection to Dianna Russini, who was the primary voice reporting that Brown was being traded, and, as we know, was outed for having an affair with the Patriots head coach.
Whether there's any truth to that is hard to say, and we might never know, but it's obvious that there are still some hard feelings involved between the Eagles and Brown, and that will almost certainly come up when they hit the practice field next week.
It will be a great test of where the Patriots stand against one of the NFC's consistent contenders of the last few years.
And it will also be a test of their patience if the Eagles come in with fire, and hopefully the Patriots won't fall into the trap of getting too physical, or else the practices will go to waste.
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