Check out some of the best images from previous Patriots joint practices. The Patriots will host Chicago on Aug. 15 and 16 before taking on the Bears in the second preseason game Aug. 18 at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots will host the Bears for joint practices on Mon., Aug 15 & Tues., Aug 16. Here are some of the connections between the two teams.
Former Patriots
K Robbie Gould entered the NFL as a rookie free with the Patriots in 2005 and spent training camp with the team.
DL Akiem Hicks played in 13 games with the Patriots in 2015, recording 21 tackles, 3 sacks and one fumble recovery, after being acquired in a midseason trade with the New Orleans Saints.
QB Brian Hoyer signed as a rookie free agent with New England in 2009 and spent three seasons with the club, appearing in 13 games.
The Patriots selected G Ted Larsen in the sixth round (205th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. Larsen was waived in September 2010 and claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
WR Nathan Palmer spent time on the Patriots practice squad in the 2015 season.
Former Bears
TE Martellus Bennett spent three seasons in Chicago (2013-15) before an offseason trade to New England. He appeared in 43 games, with 41 starts, and compiled 208 receptions, 2,114 yards and 14 TDs.
LB Shea McClellin was a first round draft pick of the Bears in 2012, and played in 40 games with 20 starts, recording 120 tackles and 7.5 sacks in four seasons with the team.
DB Brock Vereen is in his second NFL season after being drafted by the Bears in the fourth round (131st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, registering 38 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble. He was released in 2015, and spent a portion of the season on the Patriots practice squad.
Family Connections
Three-time Pro Bowl G/T Kyle Long is the younger brother of Patriots DE Chris Long.
Bears offensive assistant Ben McDaniels is the younger brother of Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels.
New England Connections
Rookie DL Kenton Adeyemi played collegiately at the University of Connecticut from 2011-15. Adeyemi is from Wethersfield, Conn. and attended Kingswood-Oxford in Connecticut.
Rookie TE Ben Braunecker was an AP FCS All-American first-team selection while at Harvard.
Trumbull, Conn. native LB Don Cherry is a rookie with the Bears, following a four-year career at Villanova.
