As it turns out, Hunter Henry isn't heading to free agency after all.
The tight end has agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $30 million to remain with the Patriots, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Friday. Henry's contract includes a base value of $27 million, making for an average annual value of at least $9 million per season.
Following one of his least productive seasons of his eight-year NFL career, Henry's days in New England appeared to be numbered amid a regime change that was likely to produce some personnel moves.
With their top three players at the position all headed to free agency, the Patriots knew they'd need to find at least one answer to their tight end conundrum and chose their most consistent option at the position in Henry, a veteran who has caught 35 or more passes for at least 400 yards in all but one of his eight seasons.
It will be interesting to see how long Henry lasts on this deal. The narrative that followed Henry to New England revolved around his struggles to stay healthy, but to his credit, Henry has just missed three games in his three seasons with the Patriots. He's also never quite matched the expectations that came with his three-year, $37.5 million deal back in 2021, and at 29 years old he's no longer the spring chicken the Chargers once deemed worthy of the franchise tag back in 2020.
Still, the Patriots will need some trustworthy targets as they figure out what to do at quarterback under new coach Jerod Mayo. Henry will provide that for whomever it is barking the cadence in 2024.
