The New England Patriots managed to re-sign Hunter Henry and also brought Austin Hooper aboard as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Even with them and La’Michael Pettway under contract for 2024, however, their tight end position remains a work in progress.
The biggest issue is the lack of long-term perspective and developmental talent. Henry and Hooper will both turn 30 during the upcoming season, while the 27-year-old Pettway has yet to prove himself much more than an emergency option at the NFL level.
This means that the Patriots are in the market for tight end help.