Patriots begin OTAs still wondering if Tom Brady and Gronk will show up

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Phase 3 of the New England Patriots’ offseason program begins today, but many people are still wondering: Where are Brady and Gronk?

It’s only a matter of time until we see if they decide to show up yet, after missing the past five weeks of voluntary offseason workouts.

Tom Brady has said in the past that Phase 3 has a higher value than the earlier stages of offseason workouts. It’s like a "scaled-down version" of training camp and as close to “real football” as it can get this time of year. OTAs include 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills and individual positioning work, but players are not allowed to wear full pads or make full contact just yet.

While the importance of Phase 3 is higher, it is still unknown when both Brady and Gronk will return to Gillette Stadium.

Rob Gronkowski posted a picture on his Instagram that shows he was in Jamaica this past week, meaning it is very likely that he is still doing his own thing this offseason and might not be ready to come back to work yet. He and Brady have maintained their absence thus far, but both have been putting in work at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center.

OTAs, however, are voluntary. So there cannot be any punishment or fines for not showing. While the two players’ attendance at OTAs remain to be seen, we can hopefully expect them on the field by at least June 5-7 for mandatory minicamp.

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