FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have officially signed tight end Austin Hooper. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the deal is a one-year contract for Hooper to return to the organization that drafted him in the third round of the draft back in 2016.
Hooper played in 59 games for Atlanta with 28 starts across four seasons of his rookie deal. He caught 214 passes for 2,244 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a rookie, Hooper caught a touchdown pass — from current president of football Matt Ryan — in the 2017 Super Bowl against New England.
"He is so California cool, it's unbelievable," Ryan said of Hooper in the middle of 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 four seasons with Atlanta, Hooper was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, having one nod in 2018 and another the very next year.
"He's been so reliable catching the ball in congested situations and running with the football after it," Ryan said of Hooper back in 2019. "He's doing all we can ask from him. He's played really well for us so far."
Hooper hit the free agency market as one of the most intriguing players at the tight end position. He signed with Kevin Stefanski's Cleveland Browns team in 2020, where he would spend the next two seasons. Hooper was someone Stefanski said "right away checked a lot of boxes" for the Browns at that time.
"I just thought adding a really good player at that position made a ton of sense," Stefanski was quoted saying. "... 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."
Hooper caught 84 passes for 780 yards and seven touchdowns with the Browns.
In the years since, Hooper has spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and, most recently, the New England Patriots. He was with the Patriots for two seasons including the organization's run to the Super Bowl this past year.
After six seasons away, Hooper returns to Atlanta.
The NFL's new league year began Wednesday at 4 p.m., meaning teams can now officially sign free agents and finalize trades. Visit our 2026 Free Agency Tracker to stay up to date on the Falcons in free agency.
