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Patriots To Re-Sign TE Hunter Henry

March 8th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Sam Robinson

10:10am: Henry’s second Patriots contract will be worth $27MM in total, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, who adds it will include $16MM fully guaranteed. Henry did not do quite as well as Schultz, who is two years younger, but this represents a nice third contract for a player trapped in some bad aerial attacks in recent years. Henry’s second Pats pact can max out at $30MM.

9:40am: The tight end market may not bring much of consequence this year. After Dalton Schultz agreed to stay with the Texans rather than hitting free agency again, the Patriots appear close to keeping Hunter Henry.

New England is working on a Henry deal, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The sides have moved close to the goal line here, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating the parties are finalizing an agreement. Henry played out a three-year, $37MM Pats deal, and despite the team making major changes this offseason, the former Chargers draftee remains in the Pats’ plans.

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This process is set to produce another three-year deal, Garafolo adds. While New England will need help at wide receiver soon as well, the team is planning to keep its three-year tight end starter as it transitions to another new play-caller. The parties have agreed to terms, and Henry will get to work in new OC Alex Van Pelt‘s scheme.

Although the Patriots’ offense spiraled in the two years following Josh McDaniels‘ departure, Henry was among the few bright spots. The ex-Philip Rivers target totaled 17 touchdown receptions on his previous contract, including nine in Mac Jones‘ rookie season. The Patriots are widely expected to have a new quarterback — perhaps via the No. 3 overall pick — and they will give that to-be-determined player an outlet option in Henry, who will not turn 30 until later this year.

Henry’s yardage totals decreased in each of his seasons with the Pats (603, 509, 419), but that can also be seen as a reflection of what happened to the team’s offense in this span. Even as the yards became harder to come by, Henry still provided the team with a quality red zone option. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher scored six touchdowns last season. Henry totaled back-to-back 600-yard seasons during his final two seasons in Los Angeles, but injuries limited him in each campaign. With the Pats, he shed the injury-prone label by missing only three games throughout his first three seasons in Foxborough.

The Schultz and Henry deals come as the Commanders (Zach Ertz) and Dolphins (Jonnu Smith) have made early strikes at the position. This effectively depletes the TE market for teams hoping to add pieces in free agency. This upcoming tight end draft class also does not match the buzz last year’s created. Noah Fant stands to be the top remaining option, and because of these early deals, the former first-round pick should do well next week. Gerald Everett, Colby Parkinson and likely one-and-done Patriot Mike Gesicki are among the other top receiving tight ends set to be UFAs.

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