FOXBORO — Days before free agency opened last month, the Patriots scratched a major item off their offseason to-do list.
Re-sign Hunter Henry.
The veteran tight end inked a 3-year, $27 million deal before he was scheduled to hit the open market as the best player available at his position. Henry expounded on the decision Tuesday during a press conference at Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots opened their voluntary offseason program this week.
“I’m excited for this new start, and to be a part of that is exciting. I have a lot of pride in this organization, too,” Henry said. “They brought me here three years ago now, and I’m just excited. I think it’s going to be cool to be part of the new era here with (head coach) Jerod (Mayo). Like I said, I always admired him as a coach, as a person, and honestly as a player, too. So I’m excited to hopefully be a part of that change.”
Henry was named a captain for the first time last season, one of the worst statistical years of his career. Despite his struggles, he was expected to have multiple suitors in free agency once the Texans re-signed their own free-agent tight end, Dalton Schultz. Henry, 29, will instead continue with the Patriots, who originally signed him as a free agent in 2021.
“It’s fun to be here. I’m excited,” he said. “I love this locker room, love this area, love this fan base, love this organization. And I’ll just keep reiterating I wanted to be a part of this. I didn’t like how last year went — how the last two years have been — and I wanted to be a part of that change.”
Henry described the team’s ongoing offseason as a time for players to look in the mirror and identify areas for improvement. The first two weeks of NFL offseason programs are limited to strength and conditioning work and meetings with coaches. Henry will be working under his fourth offensive coordinator in four years this season, with the arrival of new play-caller Alex Van Pelt.
He will also catch passes from a new quarterback, be it veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett or a rookie draft pick. Henry and Brissett both had significant workout bonuses built into their contracts to incentivize them to participate in the offseason program, a time when Mayo and his assistants are aiming to install a new culture in New England.
“Obviously, we are all excited to be in the building and get to work. But we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Henry said. “I know we’re all focused on that. It’s a time to try to grow, time to reevaluate and kind of reestablish ourselves.”