Sportsnaut
The Patriots dominated in their preseason opener on Friday night, and then immediately went back out on the practice field on Sunday.
The team had a strong day of practice again on Monday, and will now have a travel day on Tuesday as they head to Minnesota. The Patriots and Vikings will practice together on Wednesday and Thursday before playing the second preseason game on Saturday.
Unfortunately, there might be some bad injury news for the Patriots after Monday’s practice. Starting tight end Hunter Henry came up with an undisclosed injury during Sunday’s practice and was held out on Monday. As a result, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that Henry’s availability for the Minnesota trip could be in question.
With Henry not at practice, Austin Hooper took over the starter reps at tight end.
It’s not known what Henry’s injury is, but it’s not expected to be serious. Still, the veteran missing any time would be a big loss for the Patriots, especially considering the chemistry that has developed between Henry and Drake Maye this summer.
If Henry can’t take the field in Minnesota, it will be interesting to see how the backup tight ends handle things. Of course, Hooper is a lock to make the team and will see plenty of snaps in the regular season. The third tight end spot is much more up in the air, though, with Gee Scott Jr., Jack Westover, C.J. Dippre, and Jaheim Bell fighting for snaps.
In the preseason opener, Bell was the only one of these depth tight ends to catch a pass, but Westover saw the field as a fullback. Josh McDaniels likes to utilize a fullback, and with no true fullback rostered, Westover could have the edge due to his ability to play either position.
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