Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots’ tight end position heading into the offseason.
While other spots on offense such as wide receiver or offensive tackle garner most of the headlines, the New England Patriots’ tight end position appears to be flying under the radar entering the offseason. However, it should not be: while the very top of the depth chart appears to be in place, the group as a whole also is in need of some investments.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at the group heading into 2025.
Hunter Henry: The Patriots signed Henry to a three-year, $27 million contract extension last offseason, bringing him back to serve as their No. 1 tight end for the 2024 season. He did just that, and along the way managed to put up some of the best numbers of his career: he finished the season as the team leader in both catches (66) and receiving yards (674) — both new career-highs for the 30-year-old — and also caught a pair of touchdowns in his 16 games. A team captain, Henry was a valuable part of the operation both on and off the field and one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underwhelming offense.
Austin Hooper: New England’s second tight end signing of the 2024 offseason, Hooper was brought aboard via a one-year, $3 million deal. The return on investment was immediate: the veteran was a starter-level contributor and finished the season among the Patriots’ most productive pass catchers. In total, Hooper caught 45 passes for 476 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even though the team struggled offensively, he put up his best numbers in the last four seasons and showed immediate chemistry with rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Jaheim Bell: The Patriots added Bell in the seventh round of the draft, and he spent virtually all of his rookie campaign as their TE3 behind Henry and Hooper. As such, he saw limited offensive playing time (83 snaps; 7.6%) and ended up catching only 2 passes for 20 yards. He did, however, establish himself as a four-unit special teamer over the course of the season and was on the field for 176 snaps in the game’s third phase. Ranking eighth on the team with a 40.3 percent playing time share, he also registered a tackle.
Jack Westover: A rookie free agent who started his career in Seattle, Westover arrived in New England via the practice squad in October. He ended up seeing limited action in three games, mostly on special teams: Westover played 26 kicking game snaps versus 9 on the offensive side of the ball. He registered no stats.
Giovanni Ricci: A veteran of five NFL seasons, the Patriots added Ricci via a reserve/futures contract in early February. He brings the experience of 36 NFL games as well as some positional flexibility: not only did he play on both offense and special teams during his time in Carolina (he saw no game action as a Brown in...
