Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry is expected to make his season debut Sunday against the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Henry, who suffered a torn ACL in the offseason, was officially listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.
Henry returned to practice last month after his nine-month absence. He had a chance to play in the wild-card round against the Baltimore Ravens, but the Chargers decided he wasn’t quite ready to play. Instead, he was activated the following day after the Chargers came away victorious.
Henry was expected to be a primary part of the Chargers offense this season following the departure of Antonio Gates. He had 81 catches for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL, which prompted the Chargers to bring back Gates to back up Virgil Green at tight end.
Gates played a significant part in last week’s win over the Ravens as he had four catches — tied for the team-lead — on four targets for 35 yards.
It remains to be seen what impact, if any, Henry will have against the Patriots. It’s a lot to ask someone coming off a serious knee injury to make his season debut in such a high-pressure playoff game.
But at the very least, Henry should provide Philip Rivers with another capable big-bodied receiving target, particularly in the red zone, and spell Gates for a few extra snaps.
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