Patriots bring back tight end Hunter Henry, avoiding free agency (report)
Days before NFL free agency opens up, the New England Patriots are bringing back a key piece. The Patriots have agreed to a three-year deal with tight end Hunter Henry worth $27M base with a max value of $30M according to Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald adds the contract includes $16M fully guaranteed. Talks were first mentioned by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
Henry will return to New England for a fourth season. The 29-year old has had a total of 1,531 yards on 133 catches (11.5 average yards per reception) with 17 touchdowns in his Patriots career.
Over the past three seasons, Henry only missed three games. After Dalton Schultz re-signed with the Texans, Henry was going to be the top tight end to enter free agency.
Locking up one of their team captains is an important first step for the Patriots as they look to rebuild their offense. La’Michael Pettway was the only tight end on the current roster.
During a radio interview with WEEI on the Greg Hill Show, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo identified Henry as one of their offensive leaders. NFL free agency officially begins Monday March 11th at noon ET.
