Patriots New QB, WR Duo Already Impressing

New England Patriots tight end and two-time team captain Hunter Henry is no stranger to being a team leader.

Not only has the the 30-year old found success while exceeding his on-field expectations, he continues to earn respect throughout the NFL universe for his ability to motivate his teammates both off the field and in the locker room.

Accordingly, Henry’s is among the first, and most notable, opinions which should be heeded heading into training camp — especially when weighing in on potential future team leaders.

Less than 24 hours before the Pats’ first training camp practice, Henry praised quarterback Drake Maye for organizing an early-July side session in Charlotte, NC to continue their training heading into camp. Along with Henry and Maye, quarterback Josh Dobbs, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and receivers Stefon Diggs, Kendrick Bourne, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk.

“Drake hit the guys up and tried to get together after minicamp,” Henry told reporters on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium. “Obviously it was a good couple days of working. We need as many reps as we can.

“As for Drake, it’s great to see him grow. His confidence, both on and off the field is increasing. It’s great to see him owning more of his role as an all-around leader.”

While widely praised for his versatility, Henry is most productive when playing the traditional “Y” role, accentuating his route-running skills, as well as his ability to box out. He has also proven himself a strong blocker and reliable pass catcher. Having played 16 of 17 games in 2024, Henry finished the season having compiled 674 receiving yards on 66 catches — both of which were career-highs — and two touchdowns. In fact, Henry’s sure hands and on-field savvy made him Maye’s favorite target.

Confidentially, they have become one of the Patrtiots’ most-successful offensive tandems — a trend expected to continue under new head coach Mike Vrabel and returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Since signing with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, Henry has quickly become a fan-favorite in New England. Although the Patriots offense has seen far more struggle than success during Henry’s four seasons in Foxboro, he has emerged as one of the their primary scoring targets — compiling 199 catches for 2,205 yards and 21 touchdowns. As such he quickly became a favorite target of former Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, as well as Maye.

Though questions surrounding his health and durability plagued him during his time with the Chargers, Henry proved to be one of the Patriots most-reliable players, suiting up for 64 of 68 games in three seasons. Henry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs 2023, which forced him to miss the only three games of his Patriots tenure to date. He was inactive for the Patriots season-finale against the Buffalo Bills in 2024.

In addition to Maye, Henry also praised receiver Stefon Diggs, an aforementioned attendee of Maye’s throwing session. Having seen Diggs on the field, Henry’s opinion on the receiver’s swift return from last season’s torn ACL also holds a great deal of weight — especially considering his own injury history.

“He’s doing great, man,” Henry said of Diggs. [Stefon’s] a guy that adds a lot of value here. A guy that’s done a ton in this league. Everybody has a lot of respect for him. I got a lot of respect for the work he’s put in..."

“Obviously, I’ve been through an ACL myself. It’s a tough injury and he’s done a tremendous job of staying focused, staying locked in. He looks really good.”

Henry, Maye, Diggs and the rest of the Patriots will take the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday morning for their first training camp practice of 2025.