Getty Image / Rich Schultz
There was once a time when the New England Patriots’ passing attack centered around a pair of tight ends.
Back then, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski teamed up to give opposing teams nightmares whenever the Patriots ran 2-TE sets.
This offseason, it looks like the Patriots are trying to recreate the success of that passing attack.
They brought in Mike Gesicki, who had a few solid seasons in Miami and is very athletic for the position, to play alongside Hunter Henry, who was 3rd on the team in receiving yards last season.
According to WEEL’s Mike Kadlick, Henry said today that offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien has been showing the two tight ends film of Gronk and Hernandez.
Then he made a surprising comment.
He called Aaron Hernandez a legend.
Hunter Henry says that Bill O’Brien has shown he and Mike Gesicki game tape on Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez:
“Those guys are legends around here.”
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) July 27, 2023
It makes sense that the coaching staff in New England would want their tight ends to watch film of Gronk and Hernandez playing together.
On the field they were a dominant pair that presented a unique problem for the rest of the NFL in the few seasons they got to play together.
In their best season, they combined to make 169 catches for 2237 yards and 24 touchdowns.
It’s something the Patriots have already tried to emulate before. They gave big contracts to both Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in the same offseason in an effort to put together another dominant tight end duo.
That didn’t work out, but it looks like they’re trying again with the combination of Henry and Mike Gesicki.
However, even if that combination is something the team is trying to recreate, “legend” is very much the wrong word to describe Hernandez.
He spent just 3 years playing in the NFL, never went over 1000 yards, and most importantly, was arrested for murder.
The way that the New England Patriots ran their offense from 2010-12 could be a big influence on the team this coming season, but that doesn’t make Aaron Hernandez a legend.