One thing that any young player in the National Football League can always use is an experienced friend and a mentor, and Drake Maye explained on Tuesday that he’s been fortunate to have one of those during his time in New England.
For Maye, that person has been tight end Hunter Henry. Maye told reporters on Tuesday that the veteran tight end was among the first people to reach out to him after he was drafted, and the two have developed a strong relationship during the young quarterback’s brief time with the Patriots.
“Man, it’s a blessing to play with Hunter,” said Maye. “He was one of my veterans, the first guy who reached out to me when I got drafted.”
“Guys like Hunter are some of the best teammates I’ll be around in my career. And I’m just not taking that for granted and trying to pick his brain, and how many stories he has back [from his time] with Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers and just using that and just kind of continuing to build the friendship.”
Henry’s been a key piece of Maye’s success since his rookie year. Maye targeted Henry more than any other player as a rookie in 2024, targeting him 68 times with 46 completions for 460 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. He was also Maye’s most targeted player on third down that season, with Maye targeting him 20 times for 13 completions, 164 yards, and a touchdown, with Henry moving the chains 11 times.
In 2025, that success continued between the two. Henry was the second-leading target for Maye as the quarterback looked his way 85 times with 58 completions for 742 yards and 7 touchdowns. Henry also joined Diggs among the two leaders on third down, with Henry hauling in 16 receptions for 167 yards receiving and 13 first downs.
Hunter Henry’s 2024 & 2025 Stats:
Regular Season:
- 2024 Overall: 98 targets, 66 receptions, 674 yards 2 TDs (40 first downs)
- 2024 From Drake Maye: 68 targets, 46 receptions, 460 yards, 2 TDs (27 first downs)
- 2025 Overall: 87 Targets, 60 receptions, 768 yards, 7 TDs (42 first downs)
- 2025 From Drake Maye: 85 targets, 58 receptions, 742 yards, 7 TDs (41 first downs)
A Mentor and Great Teammate
Henry’s been a mentor and a great teammate since he got here, and that started back when the Patriots signed him in 2021. That offseason, the club also drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall selection.
The veteran tight end took Jones under his wing then, with the two also developing a friendship during Jones’ tenure with the club. The two became neighbors and spent a lot of time together off the field.
Henry caught 50 passes for 603 yards and nine touchdowns from Jones that year, putting him third in receiving yards among Jones’ targets behind Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne as the team went 10-7 and earned a playoff berth.
But internal issues between Jones and the coaching staff over the next two seasons, followed by a drop-off in performance, saw the club move on from Jones. Now, in Maye, the Patriots have instead landed a bigger, stronger, more athletic player. His addition clearly paid off, with Henry enjoying beating his old team, the Chargers, during the Wild Card round last January, along with winning an AFC Championship.
Maye’s growth has obviously been a big story over the last year, and he now heads into his second consecutive season with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was terrific in helping Maye take a significant step forward as the club made a run at a Super Bowl during the quarterback’s sophomore season.
That’s the kind of continuity that tends to lead to success. The Patriots provided a little more of that earlier this week after Henry received a 2-year extension, keeping him and Maye together for the foreseeable future while allowing the tight end to finish his career as a Patriot.
That news was something that Maye was glad to see happen. Now he’s looking forward to hopefully building on their success together in the coming years.
“He’s got a great family,” said Maye. “He’s a great dude, a great person. I’m glad every time I go out in the field with Hunt. So it’s a pleasure.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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