Hunter Henry profiles as intriguing free agent
With NFL free agency less than one month away, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry is a name to watch.
Last year, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry played on the franchise tag. It’s a distinct possibility he does so again in 2021, but should he hit the market, he’ll have a long list of suitors.
While Henry isn’t going to approach the top of the tight end market set by Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers, he could settle in nicely around the $11 million annual figure given to Austin Hooper last offseason by the Cleveland Browns.
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Only 26 years old, Henry could be hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time after five seasons with the Bolts. In that time, the former Arkansas Razorback has caught 196 passes for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns. The numbers are far from eye-popping, largely because Henry has dealt with myriad injuries throughout his NFL tenure.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end missed time in each season so far, including all of the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. However, when healthy, Henry is one of the better pass-catchers at his position, making life easier for Philip Rivers and then last year, Justin Herbert.
Should he go to market, Henry told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Friday that he’s prioritizing a team with a good quarterback. Smart move for his value going forward.
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“I want to play somewhere there’s a good quarterback. That’s huge for our position. It makes things a lot easier … Playing with a good quarterback always makes things better. You gotta look at both. You gotta look at some of the financial stuff, but not dive too deep into it that you go chasing it because I also want to play with a good quarterback.”
In each of the past two seasons, Henry has caught at least 55 passes and posted more than 600 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns. Again, not Kelce or Kittle, but in today’s pass-happy game and with some many teams needing an upgrade at tight end, Henry stands to cash in as the best option out there.
The Chargers would be wise to hold onto their former second-round pick, but if Henry ends up elsewhere, he could be a nice find.
