The ever-reliable New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has battled a knee injury over the last week, but that shouldn’t prevent him from suiting up in the AFC Championship Game. While he was limited in practice earlier in the week, he was a full participant yesterday and has no designation for Sunday’s contest against the Denver Broncos. Barring something completely unexpected, he will play.
Hunter Henry Injury Update: Patriots TE Will Play Against Broncos
The Hunter Henry injury update is fantastic news for a Patriots team that has wildly exceeded expectations. Following a 4-13 2024, second-year quarterback Drake Maye and new head coach Mike Vrabel turned the organization around overnight. After winning the AFC East, New England defeated the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans and are now just one win away from the Super Bowl.
Despite playing in his age-31 season, Hunter Henry is coming off arguably the best season of his career. Starting and appearing in all 17 games, the former second-round pick finished the season with 60 receptions for 768 yards and seven touchdowns. The yardage was the best mark of his career, while the receptions were tied for his second-best mark. While he only caught one pass for five yards against the Houston Texans, he finished the Chargers game with three receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown.
New England faced two tough defenses in their first two playoff matchups, and that trend will continue against the Denver Broncos. Boasting one of the deepest units in the league, Denver finished the season with -0.058 EPA/play allowed, the eighth-best mark in the league. Having Hunter Henry on the field will help quarterback Drake Maye find a reliable security option to keep the chains moving. New England’s offense hasn’t looked as dominant as it did in the regular season, but perhaps they can put it together in the franchise’s biggest game since Tom Brady joined the Buccaneers.
Main Photo: Eric Canha – Imagn Images