FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - With summer officially beginning next week, the countdown to kickoff for the upcoming NFL season has officially begun. In just under six weeks (41 days from today), the New England Patriots will report to training camp. Veteran players will report to camp on Wed., July 27 with the first public practice scheduled for Thurs., July 28 on the fields behind Gillette Stadium.

This year marks the 57th annual training camp for the Patriots, including their 14th consecutive camp at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots' 2016 Training Camp is presented by Optum and the daily practice sessions are free and open to the public. As dates and times for training camp are confirmed, they will be updated on the Patriots website, www.patriots.com/trainingcamp. Additionally, the Patriots will host joint practices with the New Orleans Saints beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tues., Aug. 9 and Wed. Aug. 10 ahead of the 2016 preseason-opener against the Saints on Thurs, Aug. 11 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots will also hold joint practices with the Chicago Bears on Mon., Aug, 15 and Tues., Aug. 16 prior to their preseason matchup at Gillette Stadium on Thur., Aug. 18. The joint sessions with the Saints and Bears will be open to the public.

Fans and media who plan to attend practices are encouraged to check the Patriots website for daily updates. Fans can also call the training camp hotline for updates by dialing (508) 549-0001.