Five Things We Learned From the Patriots Joint Practice Against the Colts

Tuesday’s joint practice was definitely interesting, with the New England Patriots finally having an opportunity to face off against a different opponent after multiple weeks of battling their own teammates.

It was controlled but competitive, with some exciting moments happening at various points Tuesday morning. Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned as the team continued preparing for the upcoming 2026 season.

Gonzalez sits, but Patriots’ depth got some work

Christian Gonzalez, who is still without a contract extension, missed Tuesday’s session against Indianapolis. It’s unknown if Gonzalez wasn’t there due to his contract, or if his absence was instead perhaps due to the tumble he took after contesting a pass against Romeo Doubs on Monday.

His name didn’t come up ahead of practice as head coach Mike Vrabel spoke with reporters, so it will likely be a bit until more light is shed on his status.

Instead, it was both Kindle Vildor and Kobee Minor getting the nod as Carlton Davis returned but was limited, as was Charles Woods, which saw both players get a fair amount of reps. Also seeing action was Karon Prunty, who rotated in opposite Vildor.

That position is quietly one that is thin when it comes to depth, with Vildor, Minor, Prunty, and Marcellas Dial seemingly battling it out. Channing Canada has also flashed, but none of these names are players that many fans know much about.

Dial had a terrific summer last year prior to tearing his ACL, and he’s had some good moments. But the Patriots still seem to have questions at that spot with a few weeks remaining.

Still, the one positive of Gonzalez missing time, and the time Davis missed with his hamstring injury, it’s created additional opportunities for those guys to get some extra reps as the team continues evaluating its depth at that position.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images — **PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images**

Brown Won the Day Over Garner

A.J. Brown showed everyone why he’s one of the top receivers in the league, with the former Eagles wideout putting on a clinic against Colts defensive back Sauce Gardner.

The two players faced off early in Tuesday’s session, with Brown getting the better of that exchange after completely faking out Gardner on their first rep.

Brown was dominant throughout most of the session. His only drop happened when he lost his footing on one play, but he was otherwise absolutely terrific.

Gardner did get some redemption later in practice, shutting down Kayshon Boutte on a comeback route, as well as providing tight coverage against Brown on another play where Drake Maye ended up connecting on a touchdown to Romeo Doubs.

Still, it was a terrific debut for Brown, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Aug 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III (86) catches the ball during a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images — **(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)**

Chism’s Strong Summer Continues

Efton Chism put together a strong performance on Tuesday, with the young wideout showing off some impressive quickness at one point in practice.

On the play, Chism slid to his right off the snap and then slipped right, accelerated past Colts defensive back Rob Carter Jr, and then cut to his left as he went deep. Tommy DeVito then dropped in a perfectly thrown ball that Chism laid out for, with the second-year receiver hauling in the pass for a big play.

That caused everyone on hand to go crazy, and it was just another moment for a player that’s managed to start stringing together some good ones in recent weeks.

“Just somebody that continues to work,” said Vrabel on Chism on Tuesday. “I mean, he carved out a role last year, made it easy for us to say that we needed him on this football team.”

“I think he’s got a good skill set of being able to get in there and block, but also marry some of that with with some of the run-action passes. He competes. He always takes care of the guy, protects the guy with the ball the best that he can. And I always see him looking to finish when he doesn’t have the football in his hands and continues to make big plays and kind of show up when we need him.”

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito (16) looks to pass the ball during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images — **(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)**

DeVito Continues to Impress

Should Drake Maye get a little reckless and take a shot and have to miss any time, the Patriots certainly seem to have a capable backup.

DeVito, or “Two Chains” as he’s been affectionately referred to by Vrabel for the fact he wears two chains around his neck, has gotten better as the weeks have continued and has settled in really well.

The club extended him over the offseason after adding him last season, and the move definitely feels like it’s paying off. DeVito, who had already had a fair amount of starting experience with the Giants, has looked sharp through camp and had another impressive outing during Tuesday’s joint session.

He hit Chism on the above play and during the competitive portion of the sessions dropped a bomb to Kyle Williams, and his accuracy and understanding of the offense has been on point in recent days.

“Two Chains is doing a nice job,” said Vrabel of DeVito on Tuesday. “He, I think, continues to learn. And with it being a new system, I think it got his attention a little bit better as opposed to saying, ‘Hey, I know what this is and kind of taking it for granted.’ I think it’s— he’s really done a nice job.”

More of a Normal Day For Lomu, Bryant

One day after seeing things get switched up, both Caleb Lomu and Marcus Bryant were back at their normal positions on Tuesday.

Lomu got some work at left tackle Monday with the second team, while Bryant again saw time with the second team at right tackle. He also saw some snaps with the first team as the team limited Morgan Moses, with the Patriots continuing to manage the veteran’s snaps this preseason.

The two young tackles have quietly been an important storyline of training camp, because as we saw last season, depth at those positions is going to be important, especially over the course of what’s now a 17 game season.

It wasn’t perfect, with Lomu getting flagged on one play for a hold, but he did go 3-0 in the one-on-one match-ups he saw against Indianapolis. But the team appears to have another terrific young player up front along its offensive line as the rookie first round pick continues to grow.

He told reporters after the session, “I’m either winning or I’m learning.” He did both on Tuesday.

The Patriots will return to practice on Wednesday for a walkthrough ahead of Thursday night’s game against Indianapolis.

About Ian Logue

Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.

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