The Patriots have brought back their starting tight end.

The Patriots and tight end Hunter Henry have agreed to terms on a new three-year contract, a source confirmed to the Herald.

Henry, a Patriots captain in 2023, was set to enter free agency as the top available tight end before the Patriots locked him up with a three-year extension.

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The Patriots signed Henry to a three-year contract as a free agent in 2021. He’s caught 133 passes for 1,531 yards with 17 touchdowns in 48 games over three seasons. He missed three games in 2023 but caught 42 passes on 61 targets for 419 yards with six touchdowns.

Prior to bringing Henry back, the Patriots only had La’Michael Pettway on their roster at tight end. Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown are also free agents at the position.

The Patriots have been busy this week before free agency kicks off Monday with the open tampering period under new head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf. They signed offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and re-signed cornerback Alex Austin and offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. on Thursday. They also placed the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger earlier this week.