The Chargers placed the franchise tag on tight end Hunter Henry earlier this month, and will now have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal.
However, that contract extension would have already been in ink. That’s until the coronavirus pandemic took the world by storm.
According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Henry said that he was “getting close” to a multi-year deal with Los Angeles earlier this offseason but that the pandemic “put a delay on everything.”
Henry does not know how close both sides are at the moment, but he remains optimistic that a long-term extension can be reached sooner than later.
From Henry’s comments, we can now justify that he will be in the team’s plans beyond the 2020 season, which should come by no surprise.
Despite being hindered by injuries the past couple of seasons, Henry has been a vital part of the offense.
When he is on the field, he is easily one of the league’s top tight ends. He’s averaging 8.9 yards per target and has 17 touchdowns in 41 games. Along with his impressive skillset as a pass-catcher, Henry has been a proven run-blocker.
After catching passes from Philip Rivers for the past four seasons, Henry will do the same thing, but it will be from Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert moving forward.
Henry expects more play action and more mobility from the quarterback position. The former Arkansas product said he texted Herbert shortly after he was taken as the No. 6 overall selection in last week’s NFL draft.