Jerod Mayo hopes to have Hunter Henry for Week 1 vs. Bengals
FOXBORO -- Hunter Henry has been sidelined for the last week with a leg injury, but head coach Jerod Mayo expressed some confidence that his top tight end will be on the field when the Patriots kick off the 2024 season in a few weeks.
Henry has yet to see any preseason action for New England, and he likely won't take the field come Sunday night when the Patriots close out their exhibition slate against the Commanders in Washington D.C. But with the regular season just under three weeks away, Mayo sounded optimistic that Henry will be ready to go come Sept. 8 in Cincinnati.
"I wouldn't say it's in doubt," Mayo said Monday of Henry's Week 1 status. "I mean, right now, we got to see. We still have a lot of time. I think he'll be there. But once again, when he's ready to play, he'll be out there."
Henry was injured early last week and has only been seen on the sideline in street clothes since. On Sunday, the team was also without top backup Austin Hooper, who appeared to suffer a foot or leg injury during Saturday's practice. Hooper was back on the field for Monday's practice, but was limited in his return.
Mitchell Wilcox has also been dealing with some sort of ailment, leaving New England extremely thin at tight end. Mayo said during a radio interview on WEEI on Monday morning that the team's injured tight ends would be "ready to go relatively early in the season."
Injuries have given Jaheim Bell a chance to step up
"That room has been banged up a little bit," Mayo said of his tight ends.
But that has opened the door for seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell to shine. The rookie turned heads on Sunday with three touchdowns catches during red zone drills, which the team was still buzzing about on Monday.
"He's really stepped up to the challenge, and he's taken a lot of reps. He's one of those guys that has a unique skill set," Mayo said of Bell. "He can run with the ball in his hands, and we just have to do a good job getting it to him."
Bell is a longshot to make the team, but said Monday that he's kept the same approach throughout training camp.
"Just being prepared every day for when it's my time to shine. Yesterday was one of those days for me," he said of his three-touchdown effort. "I always tell myself to be ready when that moment comes. You don't want to look back and say I wish I did this or I wish I did that. With the opportunity I had, I made the most of it.
"It felt great," he added. "Hearing it from my teammates, I appreciate them the most. That's what is going to keep me going."
With uncertainty atop the tight end depth chart, Bell should get more time to shine in Sunday's preseason finale against the Commanders.
