Austin Hooper

Hooper, 28, was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from Las Vegas on March 14, 2024 ... Originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round (81st overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft ... Signed by Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent from Atlanta (3/18/20) ... Released by Cleveland (3/16/22) ... Signed by Tennessee as a free agent (3/21/22) ... Signed by Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent from Tennessee (3/23/23).

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Hooper, 28, was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from Las Vegas on March 14, 2024 ... Originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round (81st overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft ... Signed by Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent from Atlanta (3/18/20) ... Released by Cleveland (3/16/22) ... Signed by Tennessee as a free agent (3/21/22) ... Signed by Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent from Tennessee (3/23/23).

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Earned Pro Bowl berths in 2018 and 2019 with Atlanta.
• Enters the season ranked 6th among tight ends since entering the NFL in 2016 with 364 receptions, also ranking 10th with 3,702 receiving yards.

SEASONAL REVIEWS

2024 (13/6)

• Made his first start as a Patriot when the team opened in a two-tight end set vs. Seattle (9/15).
• Scored his first touchdown as a Patriot on a 5-yard pass from QB Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter at San Francisco (9/29).
• Led the team with 64 yards on 3 receptions at Chicago (11/10). Recorded a 28-yard reception in the first quarter from QB Drake Maye, his longest reception since 2021, to help set up a 30-yard field goal by K Joey Slye. Had a 24-yard reception on third-and-1 in the second quarter to help set up a 2-yard receiving touchdown by WR Ja'Lynn Polk. Had a 12-yard reception on second-and-10, leading to a 25-yard field goal from Slye.
• Caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from QB Drake Maye in the fourth quarter at Miami (11/24) in a fourth-and-15 situation, the third-longest touchdown pass of his career behind the 88-yard touchdown at Chicago on Sept. 29, 2019, and a 42-yard touchdown pass vs. Carolina on Oct. 2, 2016.
• Caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from QB Drake Maye vs. Indianapolis (12/1) on a second-and-7 situation in the second quarter.

2023 (17/9 - LAS VEGAS)

• Played in 17 games with nine starts and finished with 25 receptions for 234 yards.

2022 (17/2 - TENNESSEE)

• Played in 17 games with 2 starts and finished second on the team with 41 receptions and tied for third with 444 receiving yards, while adding 2 touchdown receptions.
• Caught his 300th career reception on a 19-yard pass in the first quarter at Buffalo (9/19).

2021 (16/16 - CLEVELAND)

• Played and started in 16 games and finished with 38 receptions for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns.

2020 (13/13, 2/2 - CLEVELAND)

• Started all 13 games that he played in and recorded 46 receptions for 435 yards and 4 touchdowns.
• Started both postseason games, at Pittsburgh (1/10) in the Wild Card game and at Kansas City (1/17) in the divisional game, and caught 9 passes for 62 yards with 1 touchdown.

2019 (13/10 - ATLANTA)

• Played in 13 games with 10 starts and registered career highs with 75 receptions for 787 yards and 6 touchdowns.
• Earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth.
• Had two 100-yard receiving games with a career-high 130 receiving yards on 9 receptions vs. Tennessee (9/29) and 117 yards on 8 receptions at Arizona (10/13).

2018 (16/7 - ATLANTA)

• Played in 16 games with 7 starts and finished with 71 receptions for 660 yards with 4 touchdowns.
• Earned his first Pro Bowl berth.
• Recorded a career-high 10 receptions for 56 yards and 1 touchdown at Cleveland (11/11).

2017 (16/8, 2/2 - ATLANTA)

• Played in 16 games with 8 starts and finished with 49 receptions for 526 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• Played and started in two postseason games and added 4 receptions for 18 yards.
• Had a career-long 88-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter from QB Matt Ryan, the longest by a tight end in a season-opening game in NFL history at Chicago (9/10). Finished with 2 receptions for 128 yards and the one touchdown.

2016 (14/3, 3/1 - ATLANTA)

• Played in 14 games with 3 starts and finished with 19 receptions for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• Played in three postseason games with one start, starting the NFC Championship game vs. Green Bay (1/22), and caught 6 passes for 65 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Ryan in the second quarter of Super Bowl LI vs. New England (2/5).
• Had his first NFL reception with a 14-yard catch vs. Tampa Bay (9/11).
• Made his first career start vs. Green Bay (10/30).

COLLEGE

• Played in 27 games in his two seasons at Stanford and caught 74 passes for 937 yards and 8 touchdowns during his career.
• Named a Mackey Award finalist and was selected to the All-Pac-12 first-team after recording 34 receptions for 438 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns during his final year at Stanford.
• As a freshman in 2014, he earned freshman All-American and second team All-Pac-12 honors after positing 40 receptions for 499 yards.
• Redshirted in 2013.

PERSONAL

• Attended De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif.
• Led the team to three consecutive CIF Open Division State titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
• As a senior, helped lead the team to a 15-0 record and No.1 national ranking by ESPN.com and MaxPreps.
• Also lettered in track and field.