Hunter Henry’s proven to be durable and a key piece to Patriots offense

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Hunter Henry came to the Patriots with a goal in mind.

A promising tight end, he always showed he could make an impact on offense. During his time with the Los Angeles Chargers, however, he had issues with durability. Injuries happen all the time in football, but after playing 55 of a possible 80 games in his first five seasons, Henry came to New England wanting to stay healthy and be available.

That’s exactly what he’s done. Through his first two seasons with the Patriots, Henry hasn’t missed a game, playing all 34 possible contests. It’s an impressive feat considering his history (he even missed the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury) and the fact that the NFL now plays 17 games a season.

“It’s huge. It’s a blessing. I think first and foremost, this game is tough. This game is hard. I’ve been through those trying times of not being able to play,” Henry told MassLive. “Just being out there for this team every week and trying to be consistent I think that was a huge thing coming in two years ago. I just want to be out there and be available. That’s the biggest thing I want every week. It’s definitely a blessing I’ve been able to do that.”

The 28-year-old has developed into a reliable target for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. This season, Henry caught 69.5% of the passes through his way. Henry finished third on the Patriots in receptions (41) and receiving yards (509).

His numbers were down slightly from 2021 (50 receptions, 603 yards and nine touchdowns) as the offense wasn’t as efficient in 2022. However, Henry has turned into the Patriots most reliable tight end since Rob Gronkowski briefly retired after the 2018 season. In 2019 and 2020, the Patriots tight end position was amongst the NFL’s least productive. That’s why the Patriots signed Henry and Jonnu Smith during the 2021 offseason.

Although Smith hasn’t had the same amount of productivity, Henry has turned into an important part of the Patriots offense. This season, he played 75.8% of the Patriots offensive snaps. That’s the sixth most on offense.

Henry’s also grown close with Jones and said he’s excited to see where things with the quarterback go next season.

“I’m definitely excited,” Henry said. “I love Mac. He comes to work every single day. It’s fun. We built a relationship off the field, too. It translates to on the field. All these guys, it’s a fun place to be around and ma bunch of guys to be around. I look forward to things to come.”

Of course, Henry wants to see better offensive results. The 2022 season ended with the Patriots taking a step back. For this tight end, however, he’s grateful for the past two years in New England and hopes to build off what he’s accomplished with the Patriots.

“It is wild. It’s kind of flown by. Man, it’s been a blessing to be able to come over here,” Henry said. “I didn’t know what it’s going to entail and feel like I was very welcomed here. I really enjoyed the culture here. Obviously, we haven’t won like we’ve wanted to, but it’s been fun. It’s hard to speak on that right now, I have lot of emotions. It’s been a good ride. I’m looking forward to a lot to come.”