FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots Coach Bill Belichick says the team has moved on after losing two days of workouts for violating NFL offseason workout rules.
“It’s in the past. We’ve moved on,” Belichick said Wednesday as his team resumed their optional offseason conditioning program.
The team announced last week that a scheduled workout that was supposed to be open for reporters to attend had been canceled. Another workout originally slated for this week was also canceled.
The violation reportedly was for holding a mandatory meeting that was required to be optional.
“Had a good long weekend,” Belichick said when asked what effect the lost workout time had on the team. “The whole situation is in the past and we moved on.”
Belichick confirmed the violations occurred over three days of Phase 2 of the nine-week program in which teams are allowed to conduct workouts on the field.
The Patriots were originally allotted 13 days of workouts. They will now hold a total of 11, including next month’s mandatory three-day minicamp.
JETS: Aaron Rodgers could be back fully practicing with the New York Jets on Friday after straining his right calf last week.
The 39-year-old quarterback, acquired last month from Green Bay, was injured while participating in conditioning drills last Tuesday. Rodgers downplayed the injury at the time but hasn’t been a full participant in practice since.
“He’s fine,” Coach Robert Saleh said. “He’s just doing a bunch of rehab.”
Saleh added the team hopes Rodgers will fully participate by Friday — or next week at the latest.
“I still argue that he’s still a young man, the way he takes care of his body,” Saleh said. “His body is not his age.”
Rodgers wore a sleeve on his calf throughout the practice and was limited, as Saleh said he would. He began the session riding a stationary bike and threw some passes on the side — including a few tight-spiraled tosses of more than 40 yards — but was otherwise mainly a spectator.
He often chatted with the other quarterbacks, including Zach Wilson, who has been working with the starting offense. Rodgers also took aside some receivers after one drill to offer some pointers.
BRONCOS: Elliott Fry will get the first chance to serve as Brandon McManus’ successor in Denver after the Broncos signed the third-year kicker who has appeared in three career NFL games with the Falcons, Chiefs and Bengals.
The Broncos cut ties with McManus on May 23, and Coach Sean Payton indicated last week that money was a driver in the decision. They saved $3.75 million in salary and $2.5 million in cap space by dumping McManus.
The last holdover from the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50-winning team, McManus took out a full-page advertisement in the Denver Post last weekend thanking “Broncos Country” and listing more than 150 members of the organization.
McManus quickly signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after his nine-year career in Denver came to a close with him as the second-leading scorer in team history, highlighted by his 10-for-10 run through the playoffs on the way to the franchise’s third Super Bowl title. He connected on a franchise-most 42 field goals of 50 or more yards in the regular season and playoffs.
The Broncos held offseason workouts without a kicker last week.
Fry is a third-year pro from the University of South Carolina who appeared in a game each with Atlanta in 2020 and with both Kansas City and Cincinnati in 2021.
For his career, he’s made five of six field-goal attempts but has also missed 2 of 7 extra points.
Fry appeared in 51 games at South Carolina between 2013-16, making 66 field goals and 161 extra points. He’s the second all-time leading scorer in Gamecocks history.
49ERS: Quarterback Brock Purdy has officially resumed his throwing program as he tries to return from offseason elbow surgery in time for the season opener.
Purdy began throwing on the side this week for the first time since undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow on March 10.
“He’s had one (throwing) session thus far and we’re incredibly encouraged by that,” GM John Lynch told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He’s hitting all his marks and that doesn’t surprise us, because he’s putting in all the work.
“As for best-case scenario, we’ll take it as it comes. The hope is he’s ready for training camp. The hope is he’s ready for the regular season.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that Purdy was on schedule in his rehabilitation and that he was optimistic that he could be healthy enough to start Week 1 at Pittsburgh on Sept. 10.
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