FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots will be without Hunter Henry for the next several weeks, but it doesn’t appear that coach Bill Belichick is too worried about his high-priced tight end.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Henry is expected to miss “a couple of weeks” due to the shoulder injury he suffered in practice on Sunday. The 26-year-old came up in pain after blocking linebacker Anfernee Jennings and had an MRI the next day. Although the injury isn’t considered serious, Henry could conceivably miss the entire preseason.
During his morning press conference, Belichick was asked about Henry missing time and if that would set him back since he’s new to the Patriots. Belichick called Henry “day-to-day” and made it clear that he’s not stressed out about the situation.
“Hunter has participated in everything that he’s been able to do since he’s been here, so he’s gained a lot of experience in the time that he’s been here. I would say he’s day-to-day,” Belichick said. "And I would say as players improve — and this goes for everybody, not just specifically him — but as players improve and they can do more, then we can gradually work them into things ... So (Henry) is day-to-day. He’ll come back as he can come back.
“We have many other players in that category, but Hunter’s a smart guy. He has a lot of experience. He’s been here and done everything that we’ve done as a team, so when we get him back, we’ll get him back, we’ll get him back there in the pace and the schedule that fits his physical situation. But he’ll continue to make progress. There’s still a lot of things that he can do. There may be some things that are limitations, like other players have, but again, we try to focus on what those players can do, not what they can’t do, so they’ll continue to move ahead in the areas that they’re able to.”
The Patriots signed Henry to a three-year, $37.5 million contract in free agency. The team also signed tight end Jonnu Smith to a four-year deal worth $50 million. The two veteran tight ends are expected to play a big role in the Patriots offense in 2021. The team undoubtedly wants both of them healthy to start the season.
The Pats could hold out Henry for the remainder of the preseason to get him ready for Week 1 against Miami. That wouldn’t be a surprise considering the impact they think he can make.
