HIT FOR A LOSS
Tight end Henry is leaving Chargers for Patriots, report says
The second day of the NFL’s free agency frenzy started with a surprise departure from the Chargers.
Tight end Hunter Henry is reportedly leaving the Chargers to join the New England Patriots. Henry and the Patriots agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $25 million guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday morning.
Henry will team with Jonnu Smith to form arguably the best tight end duo in the NFL. Smith and Henry were viewed as the top two tight ends on the free-agent market.
The Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert are now left with a giant hole at tight end. An intriguing option could be Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, but he likely won’t be available if the Chargers don’t trade up from No. 13 during next month’s draft. Donald Parham Jr. is the only tight end on the Chargers’ current roster.
If the Chargers prefer a veteran, Jared Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Gerald Everett and Dan Arnold were still available as of Tuesday afternoon.
Or the Chargers can call the Philadelphia Eagles about three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz, who was reportedly granted permission to seek a trade.
The Chargers drafted Henry in the second round of the 2016 draft. He had 60 catches for
613 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Davis stays home
Michael Davis returned to his BYU stomping grounds Monday to clear his mind while NFL teams contacted his agent about possibly having the cornerback play for a team not named the Chargers.
“I was just kinda mad that I actually didn’t know what was going to happen,” Davis said Tuesday. “I just hate not knowing the unknown.”
Davis’ uneasy feeling didn’t last long because his hometown team also called – the one that helped groom the Glendale native from an undrafted free agent to a prized free-agent cornerback.
Davis passed on bigger offers from multiple teams and remained with the Chargers to stay close to his family. Davis agreed to terms on a three-year deal that is reportedly
worth $25.2 million with $15 million guaranteed.
“I came up here to Utah just to try to get away from everything,” Davis said. “I had a few teams interested, but to be honest, I wanted to stay home. I’m a Cali boy and I’m close to my family, and I’m just happy the Chargers called.”
Davis, 26, had a long path before securing a second long-term NFL contract. He was raised by a single mother, Ana Martinez, a native of Mexico, and attended Glendale High before playing at BYU. Davis joined the Chargers as an undrafted rookie in 2017 and made the 53-man roster as a special teams contributor.
“She cried,” Davis said about telling his mom the good news Monday. “She’s very happy because she knows that we’ve been through a lot. I’m just happy to see her happy. She’s happy I’m able to stay home.”
Taylor gets fresh start
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is reportedly getting a
fresh start in Houston.
Taylor, the Chargers’ Week 1 starter last season, has agreed to a oneyear deal with the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports Tuesday. The base salary is around $6 million, but the incentive-laden contract can be worth up to $12.5 million, according to the NFL Network.
Taylor joined the Chargers in 2019 as the backup for Philip Rivers and was named the starter before the 2020 season ahead of rookie Justin Herbert.
Taylor guided the Chargers to a season-opening win against the Cincinnati Bengals, but fractured his ribs in the first half. Taylor received treatment on his ribs the following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but a Chargers team doctor mishandled the pain-killing injection, which led to Taylor experiencing chest pains before kickoff. Taylor later suffered a punctured lung from the medical mishap.
Herbert filled in for Taylor
with minutes notice and delivered a sensational debut performance against the Chiefs. Then-Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn didn’t name Herbert the official starter until Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints.
Free-agent quarterbacks Alex Smith, Joe Flacco, Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy could be potential backup options for the Chargers.
Badgley returns
Kicker Michael Badgley is staying with the Chargers after agreeing to terms on a contract extension. It’s a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Badgley has been the Chargers’ starting kicker the past three seasons, but he’ll likely have training camp competition after a rocky 2020 season. The Chargers signed kicker Tristan Vizcaino last week.
Badgley made 24 of 33 field-goal attempts last season, and missed field goals in crucial situations.