Among the Chargers’ most notable departures this past offseason was tight end Hunter Henry, who signed a multi-year deal with the Patriots.
Injuries derailed Henry while wearing the blue and gold, but he was still one of the more productive players at his position, finishing with 196 receptions for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns over the course of five seasons.
Now, he has carried that type of talent over to New England while rocking No. 85 to pay homage to Antonio Gates.
Playing 72% of the offensive snaps, Henry has caught a touchdown pass in each of the past four games to go with 24 receptions for 264 yards.
Henry has steadily built a solid rapport with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, leaning on him in the red zone.
What does not show up on the stat sheet is Henry’s hard work as a blocker and on special teams, two other things that he brought value to when he was with Los Angeles.
“Hunter has been really good in a lot of ways. He’s a smart player,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s helped us in a lot of ways: running game, passing game, kickoff returns. He’s a good, smart, tough, dependable player.”
Henry will meet his former team this Sunday at 1:05 pm PT.