Sportsnaut
The Patriots are holding joint practices with the Washington Commanders this week ahead of the teams’ preseason matchup on Friday.
A ton has been learned about this roster already from over two weeks of camp, but now we’ll get to know even more after seeing the team go up against another squad. Ahead of Wednesday’s practice, the Patriots received a special guest in attendance.
Jayson Tatum, star of the Boston Celtics, was on the field to check out practice. Noticeably, Tatum was not wearing a boot on his foot, which is a good sign following his recent Achilles injury.
Jayson Tatum here at Gillette Stadium for Patriots joint practices with the Commanders pic.twitter.com/8oS7YVJQDs
— Alexandra Francisco (@ByAlFrancisco) August 6, 2025
Of course, Tatum was easily recognized by the New England fans in attendance.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum just walked on the field for Patriots practice.
“Even though you’re injured, you’re the GOAT,” a fan yells from the sideline.
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) August 6, 2025
Tatum isn’t the first Celtic to visit the Patriots this summer- head coach Joe Mazzulla and his son were in attendance last week as guests of Mike Vrabel. It’s definitely a cool sight for Boston sports fans to see their favorite teams supporting each other. Drake Maye has been seen at several Celtics’ games in the past as well.
Unfortunately, Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 NBA season due to his Achilles injury. The star forward suffered the injury in the semifinal round of the playoffs, and the Celtics went on to lose four games to two against the New York Knicks.
Still, Tatum has already firmly cemented himself as a Boston legend. The Duke product won the 2024 NBA Finals with the Celtics and has six NBA All-Star and four All-NBA First Team selections in his career.
The Patriots are hoping to again find success like the Celtics have of late. Clearly the two teams are close, which can only be good for chemistry and hopefully leads to success for both franchises.
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