The New England Patriots have had plenty of changes to their roster over the past few seasons, but some holdovers from the Belichick regime have made it to their third coach, and for good reason. One of those players is Hunter Henry.
Henry is the only player left on the roster from the massive 2021 free agency haul, and one of three players left from that offseason's additions, including the draft that featured Christian Barmore and Rhamondre Stevenson.
Even in their darkest days, Henry has been a reliable target for his revolving door of quarterbacks: from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe to Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye.
The former Arkansas Razorback has been top three in receiving yards on the team each year since his signing in 2021, and led the team last year. Josh McDaniels is now in his second stint as the offensive coordinator with Henry as his tight end, and he continues to perform. His inaugural season with New England saw him catch 50 balls for 603 yards and nine touchdowns.
This season, he has 41 catches for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. On pace for 760 yards, it would be a career year.
Bill Belichick deserves more credit for the Hunter Henry signing
Henry inked a three-year deal worth $12.5 million a season back in '21 after four years with the Chargers. While the 2021 class brought mixed results, he was one of the bright spots right away, being a safety blanket for Mac Jones as a rookie.
He remained a contributor for the next few seasons, but this season has been a perfect seam target for Maye.
With his sixth reception on the day at Cincinnati, @Patriots TE Hunter Henry has now recorded at least 40 receptions in all five of his seasons with New England, the second-longest streak by a Patriots tight end all-time (Ben Coates, six). He has had at least 6 receptions in a… pic.twitter.com/Q4BwE1MbX7
— Patriots Communications (@PatriotsComms) November 23, 2025
Henry is clearly Maye's go-to guy when the going gets tough. In the five games in which he's gotten six or more targets, all have been dogfights. Seven-point losses in Week 1 and 3, a one-point win against Atlanta, a gritty Thursday night divisional matchup against the Jets, and a six-point win over the Bengals all saw him be a focal point.
11 catches for 160 yards, and a touchdown over the last two games show that Henry is only getting better as the season moves on, and with the 10-2 Patriots looking to make a deep postseason run, tight end production will be a key piece.
While Bill Belichick deserves plenty of support for his Hall of Fame career as the greatest coach of all time with the New England Patriots, his signing of Hunter Henry has helped New England's new franchise signal caller's success years after his departure. For all the criticism Belichick received during his final years with New England, Hunter Henry's signing was a major success.