Packers won’t be signing Hunter Henry this offseason

The Green Bay Packers won’t be signing tight end Hunter Henry this offseason.

The Packers could be in the market for a top tight end in free agency, but Hunter Henry is no longer available. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the LA Chargers have franchise tagged Henry. He’ll now remain with the Chargers for the 2020 season with the possibility a long-term deal could be agreed over the summer.

This move doesn’t come as a surprise and the Packers likely expected it.

What we do know is that Austin Hooper will hit the market next week, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported last month that the Packers will be among the teams trying to sign him.

However, it’s possible that with Henry now being franchise tagged, signing Hooper may become more difficult. Not only is one fewer top tight end set to hit free agency, but Hooper could now look for a bigger contract.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com wrote earlier this month that Hooper could “reset” the tight end market with a deal averaging over $10 million per year. It will be interesting to see whether the Packers are prepared to pay that kind of money to sign the free-agent tight end.

Had both Henry and Hooper been available and, hypothetically, were willing to accept the same offer, I wonder which player the Packers would’ve preferred to sign. Has Hooper always been their No. 1 target at tight end, or is this based on the expectation that Henry wouldn’t be available?

It’s fair to say Henry is more of a mismatch as a receiver. He’s an elite pass-catching tight end. Henry has averaged more receiving yards per game than Hooper in their NFL careers, and he also has more touchdown catches despite playing in 18 fewer games. That’s over a full regular season.

But that’s where the potential concern would be. Hooper has been more durable, playing in 59 regular season games and missing only five games in four seasons. Henry, however, has only played 41 games, missing 23 games in that time.

Both are very talented players and this is not a decision the Packers will have to make. With Henry being franchise tagged, Hooper becomes the best available tight end in free agency.