Mike Gesicki Shares Interesting Nuance That Separates Hunter Henry

FOXBORO, Mass. — Last Sunday, Hunter Henry reminded everyone why he still is one of the NFL’s best tight ends.

Henry caught five balls for 56 yards and one touchdown in the Patriots’ season-opening home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. The 28-year-old tight end also made arguably the catch of the game and was one of the best players on the field for New England.

But what makes Henry so good, besides the obvious? Fellow Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki on Thursday revealed a subtle nuance that allows Henry to separate himself from his peers.

“The thing that Hunter does really well, that I’ve tried to implement into my game, is he’s so patient as a route-runner,” Gesicki said. “He doesn’t get overly excited and rush into something. A lot of guys, when they know they’re getting the ball or they see something open up, they just kind of rush it and go. He’s very patient. And it’s something I’ve seen on a lot of the install tapes that we put in every single week.

“So, he’s very, very, very talented. Excited to be in the same room as him every single day and talk with how he sees things, how he’s running routes, run after the catch, things like that. So, he’s super talented, and that’s why last week he was big for our offense, and I think for the rest of the year will be big for our offense as a reliable, dependable receiver.”

Henry had a down season in 2022 — not his fault — but was great in 2021 and is off to a great start in 2023. And he continues to be durable, having not missed a single game since debuting for the Patriots two seasons ago. Few would’ve expected that when the former Los Angeles Charger signed his three-year contract.

He’ll look to keep it rolling this Sunday when New England hosts the Miami Dolphins.