The New England Patriots are officially keeping Drake Maye’s safety valve around for the long run
Drake Maye’s safety valve will officially be staying on with the New England Patriots for the long haul.
The New England Patriots did a terrific job in 2025 of putting good players around their young quarterback, Drake Maye. They’ve since doubled down on it in 2026.
Signing Romeo Doubs. Trading for AJ Brown. And now? Making sure that Maye’s key safety valve is going to be a part of the puzzle long-term. It was announced this morning that tight end Hunter Henry has agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension to stay with New England.
New England Patriots extend Drake Maye’s safety value, TE Hunter Henry
Henry set a career high in receiving yards during the 2025 season, posting 768 yards to go with 7 touchdowns during Maye’s breakout season in 2025. He was set to play the final year of his current contract with New England this season — now it’s full steam ahead. The reported two-year, $16 million terms of Henry’s new deal is still, arguably a steal.
The “new money average” of $8 million per season ranks tied for 20th among NFL tight end contracts. Granted, Henry is 31 years old and will turn 32 later this season — so age is undoubtedly a factor. But as Henry showed last season, he’s still got plenty of gas in the tank. That production, chemistry with Maye, and long-term peace of make has the makings of a strong investment.
Perhaps the numbers will go down in 2026. AJ Brown is going to be a sizable target to feed in the passing game, after all. And for how invested New England now is in Henry, they gave up a future first-round pick for Brown. But the numbers won’t tell the full story here — this is a good deal and smart business by the Patriots.
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