UPDATE (2 p.m. ET): The New England Patriots confirmed their 2019 preseason schedule Tuesday afternoon. Here's the rundown:
Week 1: at Detroit Lions
Week 2: at Tennessee Titans
Week 3: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 4: vs. New York Giants
Exact dates and times have yet to be announced.
ORIGINAL STORY: It appears Bill Belichick got his wish.
The Athletic's Nick Underhill shared the Patriots' four 2019 preseason opponents Tuesday, citing sources, and they include two teams led by former New England players or coaches. Here's the list:
-- at Tennessee Titans
-- at Detroit Lions
-- vs. New York Giants
-- vs. Carolina Panthers
The Patriots reportedly requested to play preseason games against teams led by former assistants at the NFL owners' meetings, and the league seemingly has given them two such matchups, as Titans coach Mike Vrabel and Lions coach Matt Patricia both have ties to New England.
New England Patriots
After not conducting any joint practices last summer for the first time since 2012, Belichick could try to schedule joint practices with Vrabel's Titans or Patricia's Lions ahead of those preseason matchups. Detroit also is a potential candidate for HBO's "Hard Knocks," which would make a joint practice session with the Patriots even more intriguing.
New England traditionally plays the Giants in its final preseason game, while the team also played the Panthers on the road in their third preseason contest last August.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.