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In 2024, the New England Patriots spent almost a third of their offensive snaps operating out of 12-personnel packages with two tight ends on the field. The expectation was that more of the same would be on the menu for 2025, but that did not materialize for a multitude of reasons.
One of them might have been due to personnel: even though the used him on close to half of their snaps, Austin Hooper never quite established himself as a core option in a three-down role. And so, the veteran tight end is now heading into free agency with quite a few questions to his name.
The biggest among them: Will he be back in Foxborough for a third year? Let’s assess his situation.
Hard facts
Name: Austin Hooper
Position: Tight end
Jersey number: 81
Opening day age: 31 (10/29/1994)
Measurements: 6’3 3/4”, 254 lbs, 33 3/4” arm length, 10 5/8” hand size, 4.70s 40-yard dash, 7.00s 3-cone drill, 4.32s short shuttle, 33” vertical jump, 9’9” broad jump, 19 bench press reps, 8.13 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL teams: Atlanta Falcons (2016-19), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), Tennessee Titans (2022), Las Vegas Raiders (2023), New England Patriots (2024-) | College: Stanford (2013-15)
A three-star recruit out of De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, Hooper stayed in his home state for his college career. He joined Stanford in 2013 and after redshirting as a true freshman went on to catch 74 passes for 937 yards with eight touchdowns his next two seasons. Despite having appeared in only 26 games, he decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft in 2016.
Hooper was eventually selected in the third round by the Falcons. As the 81st overall selection, he became the second tight end off the board behind only future teammate Hunter Henry.
Hooper had a successful four-year tenure in Atlanta and was voted to a pair of Pro Bowls before signing a four-year, $42 million deal with the Browns in 2020. Two years later, he joined the Titans followed by another one-year stint in Las Vegas. In 2024, he reunited his with former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in New England.
Including his two seasons as a Patriot, Hooper has appeared in a total of 166 regular season and playoff games over his 10-year career in the NFL. He has a combined 452 receptions, 4,610 yards and 32 touchdowns to his name.
2025 review
Stats: 20 games (8 starts) | 629 offensive snaps (46.3%), 102 special teams snaps (18.6%) | 34 targets, 24 catches (70.6%), 287 receiving yards (12.0/catch), 2 TDs | 2 quarterback pressures surrendered (1 hit, 1 hurry) | 1 special teams tackle | 2 penalties
Season recap: Even though they overhauled their offensive coaching staff during the 2025 offseason, the Patriots ultimately decided to re-sign Hooper as a free agent. Given him a one-year, $5 million contract that included $4 million in guarantees, they expressed high hopes in his role in his second year in New England. However, that never quite materialized.
While Hooper did finish the season with 20 in-game appearances between the regular season and playoffs as well as a playing time share of 46.3% — second among tight ends behind Hunter Henry and sixth overall among skill position players — his output was rather pedestrian. Including the postseason, he ranked eighth on the team in targets (34), receptions (24) and touchdowns (2), and seventh in receiving yards (287).
Hooper did produce some solid moments in the passing game as both a receiver and a blocker, but he also fell victim to New England calling more 11-personnel under new coordinator Josh McDaniels. Then again, his chemistry with Drake Maye was not always where it needed to be and he also lacks the proper route nuance to become more involved as a target.
Where his value lied, meanwhile, was the running game. More than half of his snaps — 53.5% — saw him employed as a blocker in the ground game, and he managed to hold his own more often than not. That said, his usage and overall effectiveness relative to his price tag still raises some questions about the Patriots’ return on their offseason investment.
That does not mean Hooper had a bad 2025 season per se; again, he had some positive moments in all aspects of playing tight end. However, as a TE2 and part-time starter, his overall statistical output was not up to expectation.
Free agency preview
Free agency status: Unrestricted free agent (UFA)
What is his contract history? Hooper has signed multiple contracts since arriving in the NFL a decade ago, and beyond his rookie pact regularly averaged multiple million dollar on his deals. As a consequence, his career earnings so far has been calculated at $44.6 million by Over the Cap.
Which teams might be in the running? Although he is not a No. 1 tight end at this point in his career, Hooper can still be an attractive option for teams trying to improve their depth and add some experience to the room. As a consequence, teams like the Broncos, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons and Buccaneers might be in the running for his services once he enters the open market.
Why should he be expected back? Hunter Henry is the only established tight end the Patriots have under contract at the moment, with backups C.J. Dippre and Marshall Lang merely projections at the moment. Accordingly, retaining Hooper would help create a solid starting point to further add developmental talent to via what is believed to be a deep draft at the position. Additionally, keeping Hooper would likely be a cost-effective way of ensuring stability especially in the run game operation.
Why should he be expected to leave? Even though he provided some value with his blocking, Hooper’s overall contributions to the Patriots offense are seemingly not that challenging to replace. His lack of receiving production in particular is something the team might strive to improve, ideally with somebody who is younger, cheaper and provides more upside. The draft should provide several options for the team to choose from without sacrificing the integrity of the position as a whole.
What is his projected free agency outcome? The Patriots seem ready to move in a new direction at tight end, which very well could leave Hooper on the outside looking in. At age 31 and coming off an uneven season production-wise it might be time to move on.
Now it’s your turn to play GM: What would you do with Austin Hooper? Keep him around? Or let him go in hopes of getting younger at the position? Please head down to the comment section to share your plan.