The New England Patriots and TE Hunter Henry have officially reached common ground.

Freshly minted head coach Jerod Mayo walked back his statements of “burning through cash” but that didn’t stop him from sending a few bucks Henry’s way. Darren Hartwell of YahooSports.com reported that the two camps have agreed to a three year contract worth $27 million in salary with a maximum of $30 million.

Free agency is set to begin soon and Hunter Henry’s name would have been towards the top of the tight ends list. The Patriots have been known to heavily involve the tight ends in their offense in the past. As the torch is passed from Belichick to Mayo, many are wondering what this next generation of Patriot schemes will look like. With this signing, it is clear Mayo is still placing a great deal of importance on the tight end position.

The Patriots offense was very underwhelming during the 2022-23 campaign and finished with a 4-13 record. Quite the difference from what fans were used to under Belichick’s tenure. Despite the lack of production from the offense as a whole, Hunter Henry found some success. He finished with 419 yards and six touchdowns. When you factor in the quarterback play from Mac Jones, this becomes even more impressive.

As a 29 year old, Hunter Henry hopes that he still has productive years ahead of him but Bostonians might be wary about getting excited over this new deal. All the talk within the draft has people planning on a rebuild and becoming a younger team. Although the Patriots are in the top three of the league as far as salary cap, dumping $30 million into an older tight end that has seen some struggles might have some fans questioning the reasoning behind this deal.

As a 29 year old, Hunter Henry hopes that he still has productive years ahead of him but Bostonians might be wary about getting excited over this new deal. All the talk within the draft has people planning on a rebuild and becoming a younger team. Although the Patriots are in the top three of the league as far as salary cap, dumping $30 million into an older tight end that has seen some struggles might have some fans questioning the reasoning behind this deal.

Hunter Henry provides much more to the Patriots than a typical tight end. This is someone who has been in the program, has veteran experience in the locker room, and has very high game IQ. This is something that is crucial to a young, rebuilding team. Especially if the team plans on bringing in a rookie quarterback. With a new staff and new players in the building, it is essential to have a confident voice in the huddle. This is something Henry can bring with his seven years experience in the league.