Patriots first training camp practice draws over 6,000 spectators, per report

The New England Patriots opened their 2023 training camp on Wednesday morning, and the first practice of the summer enjoyed some solid attendance both on and off the field. In fact, more than 6,000 people attended the session.

According to a report by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the team counted 6,081 spectators for the roughly two-hour event. While that number does look relatively small compared to some of the crowds in years past, the circumstances have to be put into consideration as well.

For starters, it was a weekday and not everybody is able to skip work to go watch a football team run through no-contact practice drills. Also, temperatures climbed into the high 80s, making for an unpleasant experience especially on the open air bleacher seats.

Considering all of that, and the fact that the team is coming off a disappointing 8-9 season, the Patriots probably can feel quite good about Wednesday’s attendance. It also would not be a surprise to see significantly more people visit camp for the sessions on Friday (9:30 a.m. ET) and Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET).