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The Patriots’ rookie tight end got involved early, chipping in a five -yard catch on the team’s first drive. He earned a target at the Dolphins’ five-yard line on the next play, but the pass was thrown inaccurately by a scrambling Drake Maye. Hunter Henry suffered a foot injury in the first half, which allowed Raridon to run as the Patriots’ top tight end. Although he earned a few more targets as the game progressed, unfortunately, Raridon’s lone box score contribution thereafter was a false start on the Patriots’ eighth drive. Despite Raridon’s quiet Week 8 outing, he will warrant streaming TE1 treatment next week against the Packers if Henry is unable to play.
Raridon, who was out last week, was very much involved in the revived New England passing attack. Hunter Henry, meanwhile, had three grabs for 44 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots have used two tight end sets at a high rate when Raridon is healthy. Unless Henry misses time, Raridon should remain on waiver wires in most 12-team formats. He had been targeted on ten percent of his routes headed into Week 5.
Raridon was questionable coming into this game with a thigh injury. He caught one of two targets for 12 yards before leaving this game with another injury.
Raridon was questionable heading into the weekend, but he was able to get in three limited practice sessions this week, so he had been trending towards a return. He will back up Hunter Henry but could cut into Henry’s snaps enough to make Henry just a TE2 in deeper formats.
He got in three limited sessions this week. If active, Raridon would cut into Hunter Henry’s ceiling a bit.
The Patriots’ rookie tight end has a chance to play this week. He is not yet involved enough to warrant TE1 treatment though.
Raridon is tentatively on track to play in Week 4 against the Bills, though he cannot be started as anything more than a touchdown-dependent TE2. His return could squeeze TE Hunter Henry’s access to targets though.
Raridon’s absence should provide a small bump for Hunter Henry, who has run a route on 63 percent of the Patriots’ drop backs and seen a target on 16 percent of those routes through Week 2. Raridon had been running around 20 percent of the team’s routes. Henry profiles as a deep league option for Week 3 against Jacksonville’s pass-funnel defense.
The second-string tight end’s absence may open up more opportunities for New England slot wideout Pop Douglas. The Patriots also ruled out Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) for Week 3.
Raridon worked off to the side yesterday and ended up being listed as a limited participant. He is not seen with the team again today, so either a light, limited session or a total absence is possible. Either way, Raridon remains firmly in the questionable column, though a second limited session would theoretically put him on track to play in Week 3 against the Jaguars.
This is a bit confusing because Raridon suited up for practice. He did not participate on the main field, though, so Reiss thinks he will be listed as a DNP. A limited listing is possible, but we default to the ESPN reporter here. Raridon does not need to be stashed in 12-team leagues, but remains a viable stash in deep leagues.
Raridon saw 11 snaps before exiting due to a thigh injury in the first half. He caught his lone target for 30 yards, fighting through pass interference for the grab. Raridon did not re-enter the game after leaving; fantasy managers should stay tuned to the injury report next week to see how major the issue is. If healthy, Raridon is worth rostering only in the deepest of leagues for redraft formats.
Raridon caught the first touchdown of the 2026 season on a goal line toss from Drake Maye. The Pats showed a lot of 12-personnel looks early in the game, but that faded in the second half, especially once A.J. Brown left the game with an ankle injury. Raridon isn’t on the fantasy radar yet, but his minor role could prove costly for Hunter Henry, who was held to three targets today.
The report comes from team reporter Evan Lazar and is great to hear. Henry, 31, is entering the final year of his contract. The front office spent a third-round pick on Raridon, ostensibly hoping he would convince them that he can be the TE1 after this season. In many instances, that means late-season utilization. The fact that he is already competing for the TE2 role, and doing so impressively, can only be viewed as a positive. Per Lazar, Raridon “caught the eye on multiple occasions working in the passing game.” He showcased the requisite speed to get behind the second level, and his “ability to catch the ball in traffic” stands out. Raridon can be treated as a best ball TE3 at this time.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss spoke with Brown this week after the Patriots placed TE Julian Hill (knee) on season-ending injured reserve. Brown complimented Raridon’s long speed, athleticism and acceleration, while noting that he has “pretty good ball skills.” Brown believes that there is “so much more to kind of be captured from his college tape.” Raridon has been a dynasty darling in rookie drafts thus far. Hill’s injury could allow Raridon to compete for the TE2 role this season and potentially contribute to the Patriots’ offense down the stretch. He is worth keeping an eye on this summer.
It’s an interesting pick for fantasy purposes if Raridon can carve out a role in the balanced Patriots offense. Though Hunter Henry will enter the season as the clear No. 1 tight end, Raridon could eat into Henry’s snaps and routes if he excels. Raridon (6’6/245) didn’t see much run while playing behind future NFL tight ends Michael Mayer and Mitch Evans during his first three seasons at Notre Dame. He finally took over the starting gig in 2025 and put up a respectable 482 yards on 32 receptions. Despite looming over most defensive backs, Raridon didn’t score once as a senior. He largely won with straight-line speed, only forcing nine missed tackles during his career. That speed still propelled him to a reasonable 5.5 yards after the catch per reception. While he’s not the complete package as a tight end, Raridon checks enough boxes to be worth a stash in dynasty leagues.
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