The 2022 season was not a good one for many on the offense of the New England Patriots. Their unorthodox approach to the coaching staff did the team no favors as many players took a step back from their performance in 2021.
One of the players who saw a drop in production was tight end, Hunter Henry. Henry signed a free agent deal with the Patriots in 2021 and had a very solid season, appearing in all 17 games and catching 50 passes for 603 yards with 12 touchdowns.
In 2022, Henry played in 17 games again but his numbers dipped. He caught only 41 passes for 509 yards and two touchdowns, a byproduct of Mac Jones struggling throughout his sophomore season. The two of them are close, which Henry recently spoke about as both are excited about the changes being made.
“Me and Mac are close, we spend a good amount of time together, we’ve been throwing, getting after it, just trying to get ready to go,” Henry said to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “I think everyone’s excited for a fresh start and a fresh season. Everybody will be fired up and be ready to go.”
With Bill O’Brien taking over the offense, there is a lot of optimism in New England that the unit will be able to get things back on track. Entering the final season of the three-year deal that he signed in 2021, Henry is hopeful that the changes being implemented will help lead to him landing another lucrative multi-year deal in 2024.
“I’m pumped, man,” Henry said. “You get here and it feels like the offseason flew by, but you’re excited because football is finally back. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but excited for it.”
Henry will have a new running mate at the tight end spot as Jonnu Smith was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. He was replaced by Mike Gesicki, formerly of the Miami Dolphins.
The two should form a dynamic receiving duo for Jones to target as the Patriots can get back to their two-tight end sets that they had so much success running in the past. Lacking a true No. 1 receiver, both Henry and Gesicki should be heavily involved in the passing game along with free agent addition, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
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