Patriots Country

WATCH: Patriots' TE Makes Gronk-Esque TD Catch

Tight end Hunter Henry has proven to be an early standout for the New England Patriots through the start of training camp.

Harrison Reno

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When the New England Patriots hired offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien this offseason, one of the first thoughts fans likely had of the now two-time play-caller was the last offense he supervised in Foxboro. Back in the early 2010s, O'Brien coordinated a Patriots offense that was one of the league's best, thanks in large part to their passing game, which was led by tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

While the Patriots don't currently have a Gronk or Hernandez walking through the doors at Gillette Stadium anytime soon, that hasn't stopped their current group of tight ends from taking inspiration from the two. 

During an interview with the press on Thursday, Hunter Henry revealed to the media that since he arrived in Foxboro, O'Brien has shown clips of Gronkowski and Hernandez to him and Mike Gesicki.

Coincidently just a day after those comments of O'Brien's showing off his prior tight-end duo, Henry continued to standout on offense for the Patriots as he took inspiration from the duo in practice.

During Friday's practice, where the Patriots continued to work on their redzone offense, Henry reeled in a highlight touchdown pass from quarterback Mac Jones. 

During the team's 7-on-7 period, Henry was matched up against safety Adrian Phillips in the redzone. As shown in a clip that spread via social media (from multiple different angles), Henry runs what appears to be a fade route into the endzone against tight coverage from Phillips. 

Nevermind the tight window of opportunity; Jones gave his tight end a chance, which saw Henry go up and get the ball to score a would-be touchdown if it was a game.

With separation being an issue so far for the Patriots offense during camp, as pass-catchers have struggled to create space from their defender, seeing Henry "moss" the Patriots' defense was a welcomed sign after the struggles of last season. 

Since signing with the Patriots following the 2020 season, Henry's production hasn't quite lived up to the expectation of his three-year $37.5 million contract. Granted, his 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns on 91 catches in two seasons is better than what the Patriots got out of Jonnu Smith. Yet, the Patriots are still hoping for more.

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Harrison Reno
HARRISON RENO

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