The New England Patriots finally got Gabe Jacas' rookie contract signed. A mega extension for star cornerback Christian Gonzalez could be up next.
Behind the scenes, the team has another key contract decision on the table that could pull at fans’ heartstrings all season.
Hunter Henry is about to enter his sixth season as the Patriots’ No. 1 tight end, but he’s now officially entering a contract year. He’s due to make $8.5 million in 2026 in the final year of the $27 million extension he signed in 2024.
Now entering his age-32 season, Henry sounded like a man who understands he has an uncertain future in Foxboro when asked about his contract situation. Like head coach Mike Vrabel, he declined to go into any specifics on whether an extension was even being discussed.
“This is a place that I've grown a lot,” Henry said, via The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth. “So, yeah, this is a place that means a lot to me. But, I'm just focused on this year."
Hunter Henry’s Patriots future could be tied to intriguing rookie Eli Raridon
Henry should remain a big part of the Patriots’ new-look offense this season, but the team’s need to get younger and more versatile in the tight end room was undeniable entering the spring. Last year’s pairing of Henry and Austin Hooper proved problematic at times in both pass protection and in the run game.
New England coveted the toughness and in-line blocking abilities of Julian Hill in free agency for that very reason, but he was lost for the season due to an injury suffered during voluntary spring workouts. That should open up a world of opportunity for Eli Raridon, the Patriots’ third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, to showcase his talents as the team’s pass-catching tight end of the future.
Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Raridon worked behind Henry during Saturday’s opening practice of training camp and had a nice catch on a deep corner route.
Henry sees a bright NFL future for Raridon, even if his own is nearing the end.
“It's obviously a brief thing in the spring,” Henry said, “but he continued to get better every single week that we were out there. That's what you're going to have when you're young in this league; we're throwing so much at you. I'm excited to see that growth through training camp because there's going to be a lot more reps and you're stacking days and days. The ceiling is high for him."
If the Patriots were to extend Henry, it would likely be the team-friendly variety, something similar to Zach Ertz’s recent deals with the Washington Commanders. His most recent was a one-year contract worth a little over $6 million, per Spotrac.
Henry potentially taking less to stay on board as a security blanket for Drake Maye would be an ideal outcome for the Patriots. But all’s quiet on that front entering camp, and a breakout season from Raridon could alter the equation with Henry currently scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
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