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For the second straight day, Patriots fans got some encouraging news when it comes to rebuilding the offense.
After adding some experienced offensive line depth on Thursday, the Pats made their biggest move of the offseason yet on Friday, locking tight end Hunter Henry up to a three-year deal for $9 million per year. Henry can earn up to $30 million total.
NFL Network had it first.
Henry was a captain in 2023 and regularly had a positive attitude even when things were on fire all around him. Henry has been a consummate professional since signing in 2021 and has never spoken out about the train wreck of an offense in each of his three seasons here.
He’s also a Big Mac Jones guy, which is interesting given the uncertainty at the position. Last season, I asked Henry how much he prided himself on playing in his 100th career game and he was beaming with pride, noting how much he wants to be dependable for his teammates. Right now, the Pats need all the good locker room karma and guys that give a damn they can get and Henry brings that in bunches.
Not only that, but without any other tight end on the roster, this needed to get done simply to give whoever the QB ends up being some stability and a built in security blanket. Henry’s production may be down compared to his Chargers’ days, but he caught 50 balls in 2021, 41 in 2022 and 42 last season. He’s averaged 12.1, 12.4 and 10.0 yards per reception as a Patriot and has 17 total touchdowns.
Henry may be slowing down just a bit, but he’s still only 29 and now doesn’t have a contract hanging over his head. Most importantly, he’s committed to helping the Patriots transition into this next phase of life after Bill Belichick and if New England does draft a tight end, he can serve as a mentor as well.
We’ve all talked a lot about how the Pats don’t have anyone left in the locker room (besides David Andrews) to maintain that old school Patriot culture. Well, Henry is now going to be one of those vets that’s in charge of ushering in the new wave of players and fans should be very happy about it.