The Los Angeles Chargers have decided not to apply the franchise tag to tight end Hunter Henry.
As a result of the move, Henry will become a free agent.
Chargers informed TE Hunter Henry that he will not be tagged, per source. Henry is headed to free agency.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
The 26-year-old Henry has been a member of the Chargers since 2016, missing the 2018 campaign because of a torn ACL. During his time with the team, he’s caught 196 passes for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Chargers had until Tuesday afternoon to make a decision on Henry.
Given this move, it’s seemingly clear that the Chargers are ready to move on from Henry with new head coach Brandon Staley now at the helm.
The free agent market for Henry should be interesting, considering he’s come back strong from that 2018 injury to put together the best two seasons of his career.
One possible destination for Henry could be the Detroit Lions, since former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn is now serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
The Lions are in the midst of rebuilding, with a new coaching staff and a new starting quarterback in former Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Jared Goff.
