The New England Patriots have re-signed a key offensive player before he hits the open market next week.
According to NFL Network, the Patriots have agreed to terms with Hunter Henry on a new contract that would keep him in New England through the 2027 season.
Henry, 29, joined the Patriots in the 2021 offseason, inking a three-year, $37.5 million deal that included $25 million guaranteed.
His first year with the Patriots went well, as he recorded a career-high nine touchdowns in 2021. He played all 17 games for the Patriots, totaling 50 catches on 75 targets and 603 yards.
The following year also went well for Henry and the Patriots, with him staying healthy all season and putting together another productive year. However, his red-zone targets diminished as he only saw two touchdowns all year. Part of the reason was the mismanagement of the offensive coaching staff and how they used Henry in the Patriot’s offensive scheme. Although it wasn’t just Henry that was unproductive as the whole receiver group struggled all year long.
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger ranked Henry as the second-best tight end this off-season.
“Henry has served as one of the few consistent and reliable targets for a New England Patriots passing attack that has gone through lengthy droughts since his arrival as a free agent in 2021,” he said.
The 6-foot-five, 258-pound tight end entered the NFL as the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft. He spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, appearing in 55 games and combining for 284 targets, 196 receptions, and 2322 yards. In addition, he had 21 touchdowns with the Chargers.
The former Arkansas product played three years with the Tusks before entering the NFL draft. At Arkansas, he was the starting tight end and played in 25 total games.
Currently, Hunter Henry is the only tight end on the Patriots roster for next season, with Mike Gesecki also a free agent. It was a key signing to be able to sign Henry, as the tight-end market is extremely dim. As of now, it hasn’t been reported that the Patriots are expected to sign Mike Gesicki before the start of free agency next week. Some free-agent tight ends that are on the market include Noah Fant and Logan Thomas.
The signing is another internal free agent that Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo have re-signed. Earlier in the week, the Patriots re-signed Alex Austin and placed the transition tag on Kyle Dugger. Furthermore, Tyrone Whatley Jr. is expected to sign with the Patriots.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
