Patriots Re-Sign Key Veteran Before Free Agency Begins

With NFL free agency on the horizon, the New England Patriots have agreed to terms to bring back one of their best 2023 performers.

On Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that the Patriots and tight end Hunter Henry were finalizing a deal to keep the 29-year-old in New England. Henry was widely regarded as the best pending free agent at his position before the news breaking of his re-signing on Friday.

Patriots News: Hunter Henry Re-Signing in New England

Per Ian Rapoport, the agreement is a three-year deal with a base value of $27 million and can max out at $30 million.

Amid New England's widespread troubles on the offensive side of the ball, Henry led the Patriots in touchdowns and finished second in receiving yards, despite missing three games. His six receiving touchdowns were tied for the second-most in the NFL by a tight end in 2023.

As a team, New England only threw 16 TD passes last season, meaning that Henry was on the receiving end of nearly 40 percent of those scores.

Henry's second contract with the Patriots comes nearly three years following his initial agreement with the team. The Arkansas product joined New England from the Los Angeles Chargers in March 2021 on a three-year, $37.5 million deal.

In his three years in a Patriots uniform, Henry has hauled in 133 catches for 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The Patriots, who will start next season with a rookie quarterback and a first-time head coach, will need every bit of production and stability the veteran tight end has to offer. New England is not expected to be competitive in 2024 with FanDuel Sportsbook having their odds (+1700) to win the AFC East as an extremely long shot. Head over to FanDuel and take advantage of their sign-up offer if you like those odds for the Patriots.

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