Austin Hooper will return to his original NFL team in 2026. The veteran tight end has agreed to terms with the Falcons on a one-year, $3.25MM deal, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
The former third-round pick played out his rookie contract in Atlanta, where he got into 59 games. He had his most productive NFL seasons during his time with the Falcons, including a 2019 campaign where he hauled in 75 catches for 787 yards and six scores.
That performance earned him a four-year contract from the Browns, but he failed to repeat those numbers. He ended up lasting only two seasons in Cleveland, averaging 390 yards per year. He bounced around the league over the next two years, spending time with the Titans and Raiders before catching on with the Patriots ahead of the 2024 campaign.
He ended up inking a pair of one-year deals with New England. He only missed a single game through his two seasons with the organization, tallying 66 catches while mostly serving as a backup to Hunter Henry. Hooper’s lack of blocking skills ultimately made him expendable with the Patriots, and he’ll now land in a familiar spot in Atlanta.
The team’s TE outlook has obviously changed since the last time Hooper played for the Falcons, with Kyle Pitts now leading the depth chart. The Falcons ended up slapping Pitts with the franchise tag, and he’ll continue to garner most of the snaps at the position in 2026. Still, Hooper’s familiarity with Kevin Stefanski should afford him some extra reps in his latest stop.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Really solid bargain signing at a position of need for them.
Very…..unexpected.
Matt Ryan is trying to get the old band back together smh.
I guess? Who’s next? Julio jones?
Hooper was solid with the Pats. I think it’s a good depth signing.
Tua gonna love Hooper
I was kinda hoping an NE return was in the cards but it’s fine