Quarterback Tom Brady led at least 40 New England Patriots in players-only workouts that began Wednesday at Boston College's Alumni Stadium, The Boston Globe reported.

The group included a majority of the Patriots' starters, several players coming off injuries (defensive linemen Ty Warren and Mike Wright and tight end Aaron Hernandez) and a handful of rookies, including offensive tackle Nate Solder, cornerback Ras-I Dowling, running back Shane Vereen and quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Brady, who returned to the Boston area for charity appearances Friday night and Saturday, contacted teammates about joining him on the field while he was in the region, ESPN Boston reported Tuesday night.

Brady has been recuperating from foot surgery in January and working out in his native California. He especially was interested in pass catchers joining the workouts, sources said.

The workout included wide receivers Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and Deion Branch running routes and defensive backs such as Devin McCourty, Brandon Meriweather and Patrick Chung working on their backpedals and catching. The players ran through some 11-on-11 drills before reporters were asked to leave when the offense and defense split into separate groups.