Hunter Henry Is Drake Maye's Security Blanket and the Patriots Need Him to Hold Up

Through three head coaches, four different offensive coordinators and five different starting quarterbacks in five New England Patriots seasons, Hunter Henry has been the mark of consistency at tight end.

As he approaches season No. 6 with New England and No. 11 in the National Football League, the Patriots will again rely heavily in 2026 on him to be a third-down chain-mover and security blanket for Drake Maye.

Fighting Father Time

The only worry about Henry is how long he can keep things moving.

At 31 with plenty of tire wear – 142 career NFL games including 86 with the Patriots – Henry has shown no signs of slowing down.

He hit spring practices with his usual upbeat demeanor, ready to work and help this team toward what the players expect will be another special season.

Henry caught 60 balls in the regular season for 768 yards and seven TDs. Over his career, those numbers are at 50.6 for 588.3 yards and 5.2 touchdowns. Maye is at the genesis of the upswing.

Henry's prediction: An even more dangerous Maye

The tight end says a second year in Josh McDaniels' offense for all involved is only going to make the QB better.

"We're trying to attack every single day. Just work from the present. We're kind of like an orchestra, we all have to be playing the same tune and make music out there in a way," he said.

"(Maye) is pretty much the same guy. The ownership of the system is huge, football wise. Being in any kind of scheme for two years in a row, especially at this level is huge.

"Trying to become a master of it, so that when he goes out on the field, he can kind of be the second offensive coordinator on the field, put us in the right play when we need it."

Picking up the slack

The loss of Austin Hooper to free agency was supposed to be eased by Julian Hill. That veteran was lost to injury in minicamp, leaving a bit of urgency that Henry and rookie third-round draft pick Eli Raridon have tried to answer through the spring.

"It's tough to lose a guy like (Hill) … Eli is doing a good job," said Henry. "We're just trying to come together, build that every day and play good offensive football and stay on track."

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This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 5:40 PM.