The Atlanta Falcons announced on Mar. 12 that they have signed tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year contract, marking his return to the team that originally drafted him in 2016.
Hooper’s signing comes as the NFL’s new league year begins, allowing teams to officially add free agents and finalize trades. The move is significant for the Falcons, who compete in the National Football League’s NFC South division and are based in Atlanta, Georgia, according to the official website.
During his first stint with Atlanta, Hooper played in 59 games with 28 starts over four seasons. He recorded 214 receptions for 2,244 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Notably, he caught a touchdown pass from then-quarterback Matt Ryan during the team’s appearance in the 2017 Super Bowl against New England. “He is so California cool, it’s unbelievable,” Matt Ryan said of Hooper during his rookie year. “He’s out there and he’s got like no pulse. He’s done a great job for us the entire year. … I’m really proud of what he’s done. For eight games as a rookie, he really seems like a veteran out there.” By the end of his initial tenure with Atlanta, Hooper had earned two Pro Bowl selections.
Ryan also praised Hooper’s reliability: “He’s been so reliable catching the ball in congested situations and running with the football after it,” Ryan said back in 2019. “He’s doing all we can ask from him. He’s played really well for us so far.” After leaving Atlanta as a free agent, Hooper joined Kevin Stefanski’s Cleveland Browns team in 2020. Stefanski said about Hooper: “I just thought adding a really good player at that position made a ton of sense… Austin has versatility. He has played in schemes similar to what we are going to do. He is a talented football player. He is young. He is smart. I just think it checked a ton of boxes as we looked toward what we want to add to this group.” During his time with Cleveland, Hooper caught 84 passes for 780 yards and seven touchdowns.
Following his stint with the Browns, Hooper spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and most recently played two seasons with the New England Patriots—including their recent run to the Super Bowl.
The Falcons have previously advanced to the Super Bowl twice—in 1998 and again in 2016—according to their official website (https://www.atlantafalcons.com/). The team began as an expansion franchise in 1965 and features Freddie the Falcon as its mascot (https://www.atlantafalcons.com/).
As free agency continues under new league rules effective Wednesday at 4 p.m., observers will be watching how returning players like Hooper impact team performance moving forward.
