Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots are still waiting to learn the full extent of Drake Maye’s concussion, so they are making surprise plans for cover at quarterback. Plans that involve tight end Hunter Henry taking reps throwing passes during practice.
New England’s starting tight end was filmed by Patriots Coverage on NBCS Boston working with the QBs at practice on Wednesday, October 30.
It doesn’t take much to guess Henry is preparing for an in emergencies only scenario. He would only be needed for two reasons.
One involves Maye being officially ruled out for Week 9’s road game against the Tennessee Titans. The other would mean the Pats suffered more injuries at quarterback, either to veteran backup Jacoby Brissett or his rookie deputy Joe Milton III.
Maye’s status is naturally the most pressing concern.
Drake Maye Still a Doubt
Mayo revealed Maye entered the concussion protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit during the 25-22 win over the New York Jets in Week 8. The Patriots weren’t happy about the hit, and they’re still waiting on finding out if Maye will be good to go this week.
Wednesday’s practice offered few clues, when Mayo explained the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft was only allowed to practice for 30 minutes. As Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald noted, that meant Maye “is in Phase 3 of the NFL’s concussion protocol.”
Being without Maye in Tennesse would put Brissett in focus again. The 31-year-old delivered when it mattered against the Jets, but before that Brissett had lost the starting job to Maye for a reason.
Mayo made the change to expand a pedestrian passing game hamstringing a 1-4 team. Although Maye was on the losing end of his first two starts, the rookie signal-caller did provide the Pats with a bolder way of moving the ball through the air.
While Maye was making a difference, the Patriots’ passing game remains limited. The limitations are summed up by Henry’s key role.
Hunter Henry Still Central to Patriots Offense
It speaks volumes Henry is still the most productive pass-catcher on the roster. He told ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “I’m always trying to be an option for this team to rely on; in crucial situations hopefully I can come up big.”
That’s commendable, but Henry has always been a solid receiver, not a spectacular playmaker. The Patriots still don’t have one of those for their aerial offense.
It doesn’t help a highly-touted wideout is having to play a new role just to get onto the field. What the Pats are lacking is a big-play specialist on the perimeter.
Henry is never going to be that, but what the 29-year-old does offer is dependability between the numbers and in underneath areas. He’s also a team-first player willing to take on any role he can to increase the Pats’ chances of being ready for game-days.
Hopefully, the Patriots won’t need the ninth-year pro to throw any passes against the Titans. Ideally, Maye will be ready to continue his development.
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