Watching Hunter Henry leave the Miami game in Week 8's win was unsettling for the New England Patriots and Patriot Nation. Henry is a vital cog in the Patriots' offense and a key target for Drake Maye, especially when they need a first down.
If Henry is out of action for any considerable length of time, it will be a huge loss to the Patriots' offense.
Behind Henry is rookie tight end Eli Raridon, the 2026 third-round pick. He's had a decent start to his NFL career but hasn't set the league on fire. He has 13 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.
Expectations were sky high for the 3rd round pick, perhaps they shouldn't have been, since his top production while at Notre Dame was only 32 catches for 482 yards in 2025.
Regardless, Raridon will be counted on to start and take up the slack if Henry is out. Behind Raridon is only fellow rookie Tanner Arkin, who's a blocking type. Tight end depth has been a problem for the Patriots since the offseason, and they did far too little to fix it.
Eli Raridon will be under pressure to step up if Hunter Henry misses the game
On the plus side, Raridon has already caught two touchdown passes this season. In 2025, he had none for the Fighting Irish. Yet if Henry, a favorite Maye target, is on the shelf for any length of time, Raridon has to step up and make his presence felt.
With Raridon's great size at 6'6" and 245 pounds, Maye will be looking to him to reel in the big first-down catches Henry is known for.
Behind the rookie is little. Arkin hasn't caught a pass this season in the four games in which he's played. The Patriots planned to sign a free-agent tight end, and they did, signing Julian Hill. But he went out with an injury before the season began.
Maye and the Patriots will have to rely on Raridon and Arkin to pick up the slack if Henry misses any time. It's going to be a daunting challenge for the rookies. Yet they'll be expected to step in and step up if the Patriots don't want to lose the key part of their passing offense that Henry provides.
The NFL trading deadline is Tuesday, November 10th. The Patriots have several needs to fill, including guard, running back, and now tight end if Henry's injury keeps him out for any appreciable time.
Now is the time for the front office to make the necessary trades to bolster the team for a playoff run. If not, further injuries could wreck the season, and the Patriots will be on to 2027.
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