FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper believes in constantly improving his performance on the football field.
In fact, the nine-year veteran recently told reporters that he tries to focus on a special aspect of his game which could benefit from better execution. At present, Hooper is making ball security is primary focus — a decision he made with a bit of help from Patriots teammate Anfernee Jennings.
"I thought my ball security was good, and Anfernee reminded me 'POW' it wasn't," Hooper said of Jennings’ recent stripping the ball from his grasp during training camp team drills.
Rather than opt for entering unrestricted free agency at the start of the NFL year in March, the 30-year-old ultimately decided to stay within the friendly confines of Foxborough, Massachusetts. Hooper signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Pats, with a maximum value of $7 million and $4 million guaranteed. While speaking with media for the first time since inking his new contract, the nine-year veteran revealed on Tuesday that it was the potential of young quarterback Drake Maye which kept him in New England.
In spite of the numerous struggles experienced by the Pariots offense in 2024, Hooper was one of its very few bright spots. Having signed a one-year, $3 million deal with New England just one year ago, Hooper when on to forge a solid working relationship with both Maye and tight end counterpart Hunter Henry. He played all 17 games and caught 45 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns.
While Hooper remains excited to reunite with both Maye and Henry, he is also dealing with a familiar face in the coach’s room: offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The 6’4” 254-pound tight end played under McDaniels when he coached the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Hooper played in 17 games for the Silver and Black during said season, amassing 234 yards on 25 catches with zero touchdowns.
Due to his familiarity with McDaniels’ offense, Hooper has acknowledged that the longtime Pats OC has already begun to incorporate changes within the offense designed to help Maye’s development. He also praised McDaniels for his "willingness" to listen to Maye, to whom he affectionately referred as "the young gun." According to Hooper, it has caused his confidence level to noticeably rise
“Drake’s ’swag’ level has risen, for sure,” Hooper said. “Just like everyone else, the more he’s done it the more comfortable he is.”
Hooper originally joined the NFL as a third round selection (No. 81 overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFL Draft. Ironically, he was the second tight end selected, behind then Arkansas Razorback Hunter Henry — number 35, San Diego Chargers — who became his teammate in New England.
During his four seasons with the Falcons, Hooper quickly rose to the top of their tight end depth chart. The Stanford product played in 59 games, starting 28. Hie finished his tenure with 214 catches for 2244 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019 — his final season in Atlanta in which he logged 75 receptions for 787 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
Hooper parlayed his strong performance into signing a lucrative four-year contract with the Cleveland Browns in 2020. The San Mateo, California native finished the 2020 regular season with 46 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns in his debut season for the Browns. In 2022, he took a bit of a statistical dip with 38 receptions for 345 receiving yards and three scores. Hooper was ultimately released as a cost-cutting measure by the Browns in March 2022. For the next two seasons, Hooper played on one year contracts: first signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 — under current Pariots head coach Mike Vrabel — and then the Raiders in 2023.
In addition to Henry, Hooper is joined by teammates Jaheim Bell, C.J. Dippre, Gee Scott, Tyler Davis and Cole Fotheringham on the Patriots depth chart at tight end.
