Patriots Tight End Quietly Hard at Work Preparing For 2023

Ian Logue

5 months ago at 12:19 pm ET

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Given how important the 2023 season will be for the New England Patriots, one player on offense has quietly been working on hopefully making sure they bounce back from a frustrating 2022 campaign.

Veteran tight end Hunter Henry has been among players who have quietly been working hard behind the scenes, preparing for what will likely be a challenging year.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe actually had a good piece on Henry last week where Henry mentioned he’s been getting himself ready physically and that he’s excited for what’s to come.

”It’s about maintaining your body this time of year, being ready to go,” Henry told Volin. “I’m pumped, man. You get here and it feels like the offseason flew by, but you’re excited because football is finally back. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but excited for it.”

This is Henry’s last break before things really amp up. To go along with the upcoming season, the veteran also apparently has his second child on the way, which Volin pointed out is due in September.

Henry also talked about the fact he has a close bond with Mac Jones, who he’s mentioned previously that they’re neighbors. The two got off to a solid start in Henry’s first season, with the former Chargers tight end hauling in a career-high 9 touchdowns, with 68% of his receptions ending up moving the chains.

However, last season, Henry caught just 41 passes for 509 yards and two touchdowns, all three of which were his lowest totals since his rookie year in 2016.

With Bill O’Brien now here in New England running the offense, the hope should be we’ll see Henry have a season more like his first one. The veteran told Volin that he and Jones have been hard at work this offseason, and he’s looking forward to getting started.

“Me and Mac are close, we spend a good amount of time together, we’ve been throwing, getting after it, just trying to get ready to go,” Henry said. “I think everyone’s excited for a fresh start and a fresh season. Everybody will be fired up and be ready to go.”

(Editor’s Note: Portions of the above first appeared in this morning’s Daily News and Notes Column)