Patriots TE Hunter Henry returned to practice Wednesday

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry returned on Wednesday and participated in the media portion of practice.

Henry has been sidelined over the last couple of weeks due to an undisclosed injury. The Athletic’s Chad Graff reported on Tuesday that Henry will “likely miss” Week 1 with the injury in the Patriots’ road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Henry’s return makes you wonder if he could potentially come back sooner than expected.

Henry recorded 42 catches for 419 yards and six touchdowns last season. Although his production dipped slightly from the previous year, he was still a valuable piece in the Patriots’ offense.

The Patriots added Austin Hooper in free agency, and they also selected Jaheim Bell in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft. So they have players ready to step up if Henry isn’t able to go.

With that said, Henry is a previous team captain and the top red zone target for the team. A player like that would be hard to replace.