New head coach Anthony Lynn said he plans to use Henry and Antonio Gates together, but the frequency with which the team uses two-tight end formations will depend on the opponent, Chargers.com reports.
The 22-year-old Henry flashed tremendous upside as a rookie, turning his 53 targets into 36 catches for 478 yards (13.3 YPR, 9.0 YPT) and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gates had 53 catches for 548 yards and seven touchdowns on 92 targets (10.3 YPR, 6.0 YPT), largely relying on red-zone volume for his production. Henry has a real shot to overtake Gates as the team's No. 1 tight end in 2017, offering a far higher ceiling than his aging counterpart. Either way, both players figure to be significantly involved in the Philip Rivers-led passing attack.