Hooper and the Patriots agreed on a one-year, $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Hooper will stick around New England after catching 45 of 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns over 17 regular-season games in 2024. The tight end will continue to provide quarterback Drake Maye with a reliable option in the passing game while continuing make a formidable duo with Hunter Henry at his position in 2025.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Austin Hooper news
Team
New England Patriots
Birthdate
10/29/1994 (30)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'4", 254 lbs
Draft Info
2016: Rd 3; Pk (ATL)
Birthplace
San Mateo, CA, USA
Position
TE
College
Stanford
Experience
9 seasons
Career History
New England Patriots
2024-Present
(1 season)
Las Vegas Raiders
2023-2024
(1 season)
Tennessee Titans
2022-2023
(1 season)
Cleveland Browns
2020-2022
(2 seasons)
Atlanta Falcons
2016-2020
(4 seasons)
Hooper and the Patriots agreed on a one-year, $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Hooper will stick around New England after catching 45 of 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns over 17 regular-season games in 2024. The tight end will continue to provide quarterback Drake Maye with a reliable option in the passing game while continuing make a formidable duo with Hunter Henry at his position in 2025.
Sorokin made 38 saves in a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Thursday. It was a great bounce back for Sorokin, who allowed five goals on 11 shots Tuesday before being pulled and who had struggled over his last four contests. On Thursday, David Pastrnak, who extended his NHL-career high streak to 16 games, was the only player to beat him. Otherwise, Sorokin was perfect. He has to be tired, though -- he has played in 29 of the Islanders' last 34 games. No-one else in the NHL has been busier.
Hooper finished the 2024 regular season with 45 catches (on 59 targets) for 476 yards and three TDs in 17 games. Though Hooper spent his first season with New England working in a tight-end time share that tilted in favor of Hunter Henry (66/674/2 in 16 games), he managed to string together steady enough production down the stretch to maintain a modest but reliable floor in deeper fantasy formats. Hooper is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but it's possible that the Patriots could look into bringing the 30-year-old back in 2025.
Hooper caught four of six targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 23-16 win over the Bills. Getting the start with Hunter Henry (foot) sidelined, Hooper finished the game tied with Antonio Gibson for second on the Patriots in receptions, as the duo functioned as security blankets for QB Joe Milton in his NFL debut. Hooper will be a free agent this offseason, but he shouldn't have much trouble getting a new deal after posting a 45-476-3 line on 59 targets over 17 games, his best production since 2019.
Hooper is expected to start at tight end Sunday against the Bills with Hunter Henry (foot) inactive for the contest, Taylor Kyles of CLNSMedia.com reports. Henry's absence leaves the Patriots with Hooper, Jaheim Bell and Jack Westover as their available options at tight end. The 30-year-old Hooper is by far the most experienced option of the trio, though he's on an expiring contract, and the 3-13 Patriots may not be keen on giving a starter's workload in the season finale. Hooper enters Sunday's game having produced a 41-449-3 line on 53 targets through 16 appearances.
Hooper caught all three of his targets for 19 yards in Saturday's 40-7 loss to the Chargers. Hooper was on the field for 24 of the Patriots' 53 snaps on offense Saturday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, while fellow tight end Hunter Henry logged a season-low 30 snaps and didn't catch either of his targets in the contest. The duo will continue their TE time-share in next weekend's season finale at home versus a Bills team that has secured the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed.
Hooper caught four of his five targets for 55 yards in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Bills. Hooper logged 50 of a possible 73 snaps on offense in the contest, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, while fellow tight end Hunter Henry was on the field for 61 snaps and caught four of his nine targets for 39 yards and a TD. Though Hooper remains in a timeshare with Henry, his steady involvement in the Patriots passing game makes him an option in deeper/TE-friendly formats.
Hooper caught all three of his targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Cardinals. Hooper was on the field for 31 of a possible 51 snaps on offense in the contest, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, while fellow tight end Hunter Henry logged 41 snaps and caught all four of his targets for 25 yards. Though he continues to work in a timeshare with Henry, Hooper has managed to catch three or four passes in each of his last five games, giving him a modest but reliable fantasy floor in deeper/TE-friendly formats.
Hooper, who was on the field for 36 of a possible 72 snaps on offense in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Colts, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, caught all of four his targets in the contest for 42 yards and a TD. Fellow tight end Hunter Henry (56 snaps) caught seven of his nine targets Sunday for a team-high 75 yards, but Hooper still managed to make his mark by logging his third straight four-catch effort and scoring for the second consecutive week. The Patriots are on bye in Week 14, but Hooper's recent string of production makes him worthy of lineup consideration in deeper formats during the team's stretch run.