FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Matt Flynn is back where he made his first NFL start. He’s not focusing on making another in place of Tom Brady.

Flynn practiced with the New England Patriots on the first day of their three-day minicamp Tuesday, four days after signing.

Brady is appealing his four-game suspension for using deflated footballs in the AFC championship game. If Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t eliminate it after an appeal hearing, Flynn or second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would be in line to start the Sept. 10 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But with a new offense to learn, Flynn has more important things to think about.

“I look at it right now as I’ve got a big task ahead of me and that’s the only thing that I’m thinking of right now,” Flynn said, “and that’s the only thing that they’re telling me to do right now, that’s to learn, learn, learn.”

Flynn fondly recalled his starting debut on Dec. 19, 2010, with Green Bay as the replacement for an injured Aaron Rodgers.

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Facing the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Flynn completed 24 of 37 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. But the Packers lost, 31-27.

“That was a great night for me,” Flynn said. “It was my first start and I’ve always been a confident guy, but I wanted to go out and show it on a big stage. It was fun. I remember having a blast.

“It was my now-wife, then girlfriend, and my dad’s birthday that day, too.”

He had another on Jan. 1, 2012, when the Packers rested Rodgers in preparation for the playoffs. In a 45-41 win over the Detroit Lions, Flynn completed 31 of 44 passes for team records of six touchdowns and 480 yards. He threw one interception but connected on a 4-yarder with Jermichael Finley for the winning touchdown with 1:10 left.

Now he’s with his fifth team since being drafted by Green Bay in the seventh round in 2008.

“It’s always tough going to a different team. You have this huge task of learning a new offense and that’s what I’m in the middle of right now,” Flynn said. “Probably the hardest part of learning something new is forgetting the old one.”


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