Why Hunter Henry chose to stay with Patriots and Drake Maye
· Yahoo Sports
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Hunter Henry isn't going anywhere.
Just before Monday's training camp practice, news broke that the New England Patriots gave the veteran tight end a two-year, $16 million extension that's worth up to $20 million, with $14.5 million guaranteed and a $4.2 million signing bonus.
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And with a huge smile on his face, Henry said it was "perfect timing" that today he was scheduled to speak with the media following their work on the field.
“It means a lot, man. This place means a lot to me and my wife. Just the organization as a whole, man. The Kraft family has taken me in. They’ve been so good to me and my family. Giving me a chance, kind of in the middle of my career, to come over here. We have just appreciated it the whole time. We really have,” Henry said. “We’ve enjoyed the area. Enjoyed this fan base. Just really appreciated things a lot. It’s just a blessing. It really is. It’s a true blessing to be able to do this 11 years — coming up, this is my 11th year, and then some more years to go; I’m excited. Excited to be part of this team. I feel like we have a really good football team too, and excited to be a piece of that.”
Henry signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021 after beginning his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. And he's certainly made an impact; Henry is third on the franchise’s all-time list for receptions by a tight end, trailing Rob Gronkowski and Ben Coates. As for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, he ranks fourth.
The tight end has not had the easiest time in New England, coming in and making it to the playoffs in his first season, followed by two four-win years with Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo as head coach. And then, last year, he welcomed in a new head coach when Mike Vrabel was hired. But there is now consistency, with Henry getting to play his third season with Drake Maye and his second with Vrabel. Plus, his connection with Maye factored into his decision to stay in New England going forward.
“That definitely helped. Drake is a good friend of mine and obviously a great quarterback. Just excited to build with him,” Henry said. “That’s my guy. Just a special person. We’ve grown really close over the last few years, and I’m excited to kind of build that relationship off the field but also on the field. He’s just a special player to be around.”
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Why Hunter Henry chose to stay with Patriots and Drake Maye