The New England Patriots clobbered the New York Jets 42-10 in Week 17 and have snatched the AFC East title away from the Buffalo Bills, who lost to the Eagles. The metamorphosis from a bottom-dweller to the top of the AFC East is due in large part to two individuals, Head Coach Mike Vrabel and MVP candidate quarterback Drake Maye.
Yet, a veteran originally signed by Bill Belichick, tight end Hunter Henry has also taken his game to a new level.
Belichick's general managership has not been much applauded, and justifiably so, but in Henry's case, he made a terrific free agent decision. In 2021, he signed Henry to a free-agent contract, and he has lived up to every aspect of it since. 2025 is the tight end's fifth season in Foxborough, and his major asset has been his consistency. He's been steady as a rock for the Patriots since.
This season, while he may not surpass his best individual season in 2024 with 66 catches, he's already surpassed his seasonal yardage peak in 16 games with 712 yards. Thus far, he has logged 55 catches with seven touchdowns with one game left in the season.
Hunter Henry is playing at a Pro Bowl level in his 10th NFL season
In the NFL, it's not often you can say a player gets better with age. Years take their toll on players' bodies, as they get knocked around by some of the best and biggest athletes in the world. Yet, for Hunter Henry, the case can be made. Now that he has an MVP-level NFL quarterback getting him the ball in Drake Maye, he's excelled.
The now 31-year-old Henry is just about to complete his 10th year in the NFL, and he seems to be getting even better. He's shattered his total yards for the season already in 16 games played, with one more to go. He has a good chance to surpass 800 yards for the season with a good game against Miami.
What Henry has also been to Maye is a safety blanket. He seems to find the 6'5", 249-pounder at key moments in a game when his offensive protection breaks down. And that protection breaks down often. While Mike Vrabel has patched together at least an NFL-qualified group, it still needs a lot more work to be at the highest levels.
Mike Vrabel needs to build his offensive line in the 2026 offseason
Henry is certainly capable of logging 75 catches for 1000 yards in the right circumstances. Yet that would require Vrabel to rebuild the offensive line. Maye has been sacked 47 times this season in 16 games. In comparison, his main competition for the NFL's MVP award, the Rams' Matthew Stafford, has been sacked only 19 times.
Last season, Patriots quarterbacks were sacked 52 times. 47 is a bit of an improvement, but not enough. To give Henry and the other pass-catchers time to get open, Vrabel needs to add two or even three top O-linemen in the offseason to maximize his offensive passing and running capabilities. Patriots running backs seldom have any holes at all to run through.
No matter, for Henry, 2025 has been a terrific season. Belichick knew a good player when he saw one and signed him in 2021. Expect Henry to continue to man the top tight end position for the foreseeable future. He may not be an All-Pro caliber tight end, but he's steady and solid.
He's a winner, and he's durable. Maye wouldn't want anyone else.