Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from L.A. Chargers on March 19, 2021 ... Originally drafted by San Diego in the second round (35th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft ... Named franchise player by L.A. Chargers and signed his tender (4/16/20).

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Hunter Henry was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from L.A. Chargers on March 19, 2021 ... Originally drafted by San Diego in the second round (35th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft ... Named franchise player by L.A. Chargers and signed his tender (4/16/20).

SEASONAL REVIEWS

2023 (14/10)

• Named a team captain for the first time since joining the team.
• Played in 14 games with 10 starts and recorded 42 receptions for 419 yards (10.0 avg) and hauled in 6 touchdowns. 
• He was inactive for two games due to injury - at Denver (12/24) and at Buffalo (12/31) - before being placed on injured reserve before the final game vs. N.Y. Jets (1/7).
• Recroded 5 receptions for 56 yards, averaging 11.2 yard-per-reception, and 1 touchdown vs. Philadelphia (9/10). His touchdown gave the Patriots their first points of the year, on a 9-yard pass from QB Mac Jones in the first quarter.
• Started vs. Miami (9/17) in a three tight end set and hauled in the only receiving touchdown for New England in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard pass from Jones.
• Had a crucial reception deep in the team's own territory for 14 yards that resulted in a first down on a third-down play late in the fourth quarter with zero time outs left and down by three points vs. Buffalo (10/22). That play set up a touchdown for a 29-25 win. 
• Found the end zone in the second quarter vs. Washington (11/5) on a 14-yard pass from Jones to put the Patriots on the board.
• Tied his career high with two touchdown receptions, an 8-yard and a 24-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter on his birthday at Pittsburgh (12/7). He is the first Patriots player to score a touchdown on his birthday since RB Dion Lewis on Sept. 27, 2015 vs. Jacksonville when he turned 25. He finished the game with 3 receptions for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• Hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from QB Bailey Zappe in the second quarter vs. Kansas City (12/17), before leaving the game in the second half with an injury.

2022 (17/14)

• Played in 17 games with 14 starts and recorded 41 receptions for 509 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
• Had five 30-yard receptions, including two 30-yard touchdown receptions.
• Henry scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from QB Bailey Zappe in the third quarter at Cleveland (10/16) and had a 37-yard touchdown from Mac Jones at Minnesota in the third quarter (11/24), his longest touchdown receptions of his career. His previous best was a 30-yard touchdown pass at Jacksonville on Dec. 8, 2019 when he played for the Chargers. In 2021.
• Had a 39-yard reception from QB Mac Jones to set up a fourth quarter touchdown at Arizona (12/12).
• Had five receptions for 52 yards vs. Miami (1/1). Recovered the onside kick in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots possession and bring out the victory formation.

2021 (17/10, 1/1)

• Started in a two-tight end set in his Patriots debut vs. Miami (9/12),
• Tallied three catches for 31 yards.
• Caught a 32-yard pass from QB Mac Jones as the starting tight end at N.Y. Jets (9/19). Big gain helped Patriots get in field goal territory,
• Had five receptions for 36 yards vs. New Orleans (9/26).
• Caught his first Patriots touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Mac Jones in the second quarter vs. Tampa Bay (10/3).
• Led the team in receptions (6) and receiving yards (76) at Houston (10/10), including a 12-yard touchdown catch from Mac Jones in the fourth quarter.
• Caught a 20-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter vs. Dallas (10/17), his third straight game with a touchdown reception. He had a three-game stretch with three touchdowns as a rookie in 2016 with the Chargers.
• Caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from QB Mac Jones late in the second quarter vs. N.Y. Jets (10/24), marking his fourth-straight game with a touchdown reception. He had a three-game stretch with touchdowns as a rookie in 2016 with the Chargers. The last New England tight end to register a stretch of four straight games with a touchdown reception was Rob Gronkowski in 2013. The Patriots record for most consecutive touchdowns by a tight end is Gronkowski with six games in 2011. The NFL record for most consecutive touchdowns receptions by a tight end is nine by Antonio Gates (2009-10).
• Made a key block on the opening kickoff vs. N.Y. Jets (10/24) when he ran all the way across the field to open up a lane for returner Gunner Olszewski, who ran the ball back for a season-high 31 yards on the play.
• Caught a season-long 33-yard pass from QB Mac Jones in the second quarter at L.A. Chargers (10/31). Started the game in a two-tight end set and recovered a Chargers onside kick in the final minute of play to secure the victory over his former team.
• Caught a 7-yard touchdown pass on third down in the second quarter at Carolina (11/7), his fifth touchdown reception of the season.
• Had his second career two-touchdown game vs. Cleveland (11/14). He had his first career two-touchdown game vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 13, 2019 when he was with the Chargers. Now has seven touchdowns through the first 10 games, the most since Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski each had seven through the first 10 games of the 2015 season. Capped the Patriots' first offensive drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass from QB Mac Jones, his sixth touchdown in the last seven games. He also added a 3-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter from Jones.
• Made key blocks throughout the game at Buffalo (12/6) to help the team rush for 222 yards on the day.
• Caught six catches for a team-high 77 yards to go along with a 12-yard and a 7-yard touchdonw in the fourth quarter at Indianapolis (12/18). Those touchdowns were numbers eight and nine for the season for Henry, marking a new career single-season high for him.
• Caught a 9-yard pass in the fourth quarter vs. Buffalo (12/26) to kickstart a drive that resulted in a rushing touchdown for Damien Harris and blocking on two of the team's touchdown runs.
• Hauled in three catches for 37 yards vs. Jacksonville (1/2). Two of his catches set up touchdown runs and he served as a blocker for three of the four Patriot rushing touchdowns for the day.
• Connected for a 35-yard reception in the second quarter at Miami (1/9). It is Henry's longest play of the season. His previous best was a 33-yard reception at the LA Chargers on Oct. 31. He added a 32-yard reception in the third quarter. It is the first time in his career he has had two 30-yard receptions in a single game. His game-high 86 receiving yards against Miami were his highest output of the 2021 season. He had 77 yards at Indianapolis. He also corralled his 50th catch of the season and reached 600 receiving yards, marking the third consecutive year he has reached the 50-catch, 600 yard benchmark.
• Started in the Wild Card Round loss at Buffalo (1/15), reeling in a career playoff-long 30 yard catch

2020 (14/14 - L.A. Chargers)

• Started all 14 games he played, posting 60 receptions for 613 yards and four touchdowns.
• Missed the final two games of the season after being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
• Posted six receptions for a season-high 83 yards vs. Kansas City (9/20).
• Tallied a season-high seven receptions for 67 yards at Buffalo (11/29)
• Hauled in five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown at Las Vegas (12/17)

2019 (12/12 - L.A. Chargers)

• Appeared in 12 games, posting 55 receptions for 652 yards and five touchdowns.
• Was inactive for four games (Week 2-5) due to injury.
• Returned from missing four straight games due to injury and set single-game career highs in receptions (8), receiving yards (100) and receiving touchdowns (2) vs. Pittsburgh (10/13). The game marked the first 100-yard effort of his career.
• Caught six passes for 97 yards at Tennessee (10/20).
• Tallied five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown in the season finale at Kansas City (12/29).

2018 (0/0, 1/1 - L.A. Chargers)

• Spent the regular season on physically unable to perform (PUP) after suffering a knee injury in organized team activities (OTAs)…
• Appeared in the AFC Divisional after being activated from PUP on Jan. 7…Started the postseason game as the team's third TE…at New England (AFC Divisional, Jan. 13): Made his career postseason debut after starting the game as the team's third TE…Showed his mobility in his return to the lineup, pulling from left to right to block DE John Simon to spring RB Melvin Gordon III free for an eight-yard gain in the second quarter.

2017 (14/13 - L.A. Chargers)

• Appeared in 14 games with 13 starts, posting 45 receptions for 579 yards (12.9 avg.) and four TDs, marking career highs for catches and receiving yards in a single season…Saw action on 23 special teams plays…Reached 81 career receptions, moving into sole possession of 13th in franchise history among TEs…Moved into sole possession of 12th in team annals among TEs with 1,057 career receiving yards…
• Placed on injured reserve on Dec. 19 with a season-ending kidney injury…Awards: Pro Football Focus Second-Team All-Pro (TE)…at Denver (Sept. 11):
• Saw time on 23 offensive snaps at TE…vs. Miami (Sept. 17): Opened the game at TE, hauling in a career-high seven receptions for 80 yards (11.4 avg.)
• Caught five passes for a season-high 90 yards at Oakland (10/15)
• Matched a season-high with seen receptions for 81 yards vs. Cleveland (12/3)

2016 (15/10 - L.A. Chargers)

• Played in 15 games with 10 starts and registered 36 receptions for 478 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. Led all rookie tight ends in receiving yards and tied for the NFL lead among all tight ends in receiving touchdowns Also returned one kickoff for 10 yards.
• Tallied four receptions for 61 yards and his first NFL touchdown vs. New Orleans (10/2).
• Had his most productive game of the season after catching six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown vs. Denver (10/13).
• Capped his rookie campaign vs. Kansas City (1/1) with four receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown.

COLLEGE

• Played three seasons (2013-15) at Arkansas, finishing his career with 116 catches for 1,661 yards (14.3 avg.) and nine TDs…
• Became one of just eight TEs in Southeastern Conference history to total 100-plus career receptions in the conference…93 of his career receptions converted for first downs or scores…Earned first-team All-America and All-SEC accolades, including from The Associated Press, as a senior in 2015, leading all Football Bowl Subdivision TEs with 739 receiving yards and three TDs on 51 catches (14.5 avg.)…
• His performance as a senior resulted in him being named the John Mackey Award winner, which is given annually to the most outstanding TE in college football…Did not record a dropped pass and did not allow a sack or quarterback hurry in 2015…
• Named second-team All-SEC as a sophomore in 2014…
• Placed on the Mackey Award Watch list as a true freshman in 2013…Named to the SEC All-Freshman Team while earning Freshman All-America and second-team All-SEC honors in 2013.

PERSONAL

• Father, Mark, played at Arkansas from 1988-91, and brother, Hayden (Senior LB) and Hudson (RS Sophomore TE), who currently play for the Razorbacks.
• Earned first-team All-America honors following his senior season at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark. where he finished with 107 receptions for 1,449 yards and 15 touchdowns.
• Helped lead his team to the 5A state semifinals.
• Paced Pulaski as a junior with 64 receptions for 1,093 yards and 16 touchdowns to a 14-0 record and a 4A state title.
• Helped lead the team to the state championship fame as a sophomore totaling 45 receptions for 748 yards and 1 0 touchdowns.
• Married wife, Parker in 2018.

HONORS & AWARDS

2019: Ed Block Courage Award

2016: PFWA All-Rookie Team