With the legendary Rob Gronkowski long gone, the New England Patriots will need to address their tight end deficit this offseason. Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki and Pharoah Brown are all free agents. There’s nothing like Super Bowl Sunday to bring back memories of the great Rob Gronkowski and the incredible success the New England Patriots once enjoyed as a result of their elite skills.
In four Super Bowl games as a Patriot, Gronkowski threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns on 23 receptions. Scored multiple goals in every match.Not only do the Patriots not have the next Gronk on their roster, but they only have one tight end under contract for next season, who is virtually unknown.
Former USFL product La’Michael Pettway joined the active roster on a two-year deal in late December. He is the only player contracted in this position until 2024. Hunter Henry, Pharoah Brown and Mike Gesicki are set to hit the free agent market.
Henry didn’t live up to his $37.5 million contract for 2021, but the talented pass-catcher was the team’s second-best offensive weapon behind Lamondre Stevenson. Both players finished the season on injured reserve as the Patriots’ offense (276.2) fell to 30th in the NFL.
Even if New England chooses to re-sign Henry, who has six touchdowns in 14 games, the team should have at least two or three tight ends available before training camp. Patriots – Hunter HenryIf you choose to go the free agent route, Noah Fant, Dalton Schultz and Gerald Everett are some of the more prominent names.
Schultz had 59 receptions, 635 yards and five touchdowns in 15 regular season games for the Houston Texans. Everett had 51 receptions for 411 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games for the Los Angeles Chargers. Fant, a former first-round pick, started all 17 games for the Seattle Seahawks and had 32 catches for 414 yards.
Georgia’s Brock Bowers became the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft class. While he won’t be around long, the third overall pick may be a bit high for the position. New England could trade up a few slots and still end up with Bowers, who has won back-to-back John Mackie Awards as the nation’s top tight end. Whether it’s Henry, Bowers, veteran free agents or all of the above, the Patriots need to address the tight end position this offseason.
