Report: Patriots TE Hunter Henry to miss “a couple weeks” with shoulder injury

UPDATE: Henry’s shoulder injury doesn’t appear to be serious, but he will miss around two weeks of practice according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

UPDATE: Henry is getting an MRI on Monday, per Mike Reiss. He reported the injury does not appear serious, but Henry could miss time in the preseason.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry left practice Sunday appearing to suffer a shoulder injury, according to NESN’s Zach Cox. The tight end was reportedly favoring the shoulder for a good portion of the training session before ultimately leaving the practice area.

Henry was a big signing for the Patriots in free agency, inking a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the team. He and Jonnu Smith hope to create a dynamic attack over the middle for either Cam Newton or Mac Jones, depending on how Bill Belichick sees the QB position. Henry has been injury-prone in the past, but turned in a strong 2020 season with 613 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games.

It is unclear if Henry will miss any time due to the injury. If Henry was to miss time, Smith would be the natural pick to start at tight end. Devin Asiasi and Matt LaCosse are the only other tight ends on the roster.