Roger Goodell Attends 1st Patriots Home Game Since Deflategate

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attended the New England Patriots' preseason home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.

The Boston Globe's Ben Volin shared a photo of Goodell in the luxury box of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, with Volin noting it was Goodell's first trip to Gillette Stadium since New England's AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18, 2015:

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed Goodell will also attend the Patriots' regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 7:

The 2015 AFC Championship Game was the genesis of the Deflategate scandal that resulted in Tom Brady's four-game suspension to start the 2016 season.

Deflategate made Goodell public enemy No. 1 in New England, and Patriots fans and players reveled in his absence for important games, such as the team's 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in last year's conference title game:

"If I'm invited back to Foxborough, I will come," Goodell said in February, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "I have no doubt that if I wanted to come up to a Patriots game and I asked Mr. Kraft, he would welcome me back. That's up to him."

Goodell confirmed in March that he planned to return to Gillette Stadium in Week 1, adding last month that he wasn't worried about the reception he'll receive from the home crowd.

According to Reiss, Kraft said he had spoken to Patriots fans "who would love" to see Goodell attend another game at Gillette Stadium.