The New England Patriots held their first practice as AFC Champions on Thursday inside the Dana Farber Field House.
The players were in sweats and shells as they began preparation for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. Quarterback Tom Brady was in attendance, while tight end Rob Gronkowski was the only player on the 53-man roster not present at the practice.
Gronkowski, who suffered an ankle sprain against the Ravens, has not been absent from practice very often; this is the first practice since Aug. 9 the Pro Bowl TE has not been present.
Practice squad TE Carson Butler was also not seen during the media portion of practice.
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This is an archived article originally published on
January 26, 2012.
Content reflects the editorial context of its original publication date.
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