Hunter Henry Reveals Why He Was 'Surprised' By Patriots
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 08: Tight end Hunter Henry #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers rushes the football during the NFL preseason game at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It's becoming pretty clear that tight end Hunter Henry didn't just join the New England Patriots for the money (though that probably was a factor). Judging by how he speaks about his new team, you'd think Henry had just won the lottery.
During his introductory video conference with New England, Henry almost couldn't believe that he's a member of the Patriots. He said he was happy that Jonnu Smith got a deal with New England and didn't know if he could too.
“I didn’t think this would happen where we would both end up in the same place,” Henry said, via NESN. “We hadn’t even talked about that. I don’t think anybody even thought about that. Obviously, when I saw (Smith) go to the Patriots right out of the gate, I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was really happy for him. I just didn’t know if it was going to happen for me, too.
“And then, obviously, we started talking again and got it figured out, and I was fired up to join, too. I just feel like we can complement each other in a cool way. Obviously, the Patriots have a lot of success with tight ends, so I’m excited to be able to hopefully add to that.”
New England was more than just a dream destination for Hunter Henry though. The team paid him what he's worth, giving him a three-year, $37.5 million contract.
Henry has been a star at tight end ever since the Chargers drafted him in 2016. Over the last five seasons (one missed due to injury) he has 196 receptions for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns.
With the Patriots revamping their offense for the 2021 season, they're spending a ton in hopes of getting back to AFC East title contention.
Will Hunter Henry make a big impact for the Patriots this year?
