ATL Austin Hooper
NFL player. Position: TE. Team: ATL.
Quick Facts
- Position: TE
- Team: ATL (Atlanta Falcons)
- Age: 34 heading into 2026 season (11th NFL season)
- Career highlights: 2016 Super Bowl LI run with Falcons; two seasons with Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland
2026 Outlook
Veteran tight end Austin Hooper returned to the Atlanta Falcons in March 2026 after one season with the New England Patriots, marking his return to the organization that drafted him in the third round in 2016. At 34 years old entering his 11th NFL season, Hooper brings familiarity with both the franchise's culture and head coach Kevin Stefanski (two seasons together in Cleveland, 2024-2025). After playing for the Patriots in 2025 (21 catches, 263 yards, 2 TDs in six starts), Hooper is expected to serve as the in-line tight end in the Falcons' offense, freeing Kyle Pitts to play more slot and receiving-focused snaps. Hooper also maintains relationships with veteran offensive linemen Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom and previously worked with former Falcons QB Matt Ryan. His role in 12/13-personnel packages—blocking-heavy snaps that Pitts can avoid—maximizes the Falcons' tight end room ceiling by splitting workload based on down and distance (per Falcons 2026 training camp preview - tight end storylines). With Kevin Stefanski's tight end usage patterns (27.2% target share in Cleveland/Pittsburgh offenses), Hooper's snaps are less likely to translate to significant receiving volume; his value is primarily blocking-based and in game flow management.
Role / Depth Chart
Backup/complementary tight end. Expected to operate as in-line tight end in 12/13-personnel packages. Primary role is run-game blocking and red-zone presence.
Injury Status
Healthy heading into 2026.
Recent News
- 2026-07-08 — Falcons 2026 training camp preview - tight end storylines (Falcons 2026 training camp preview - tight end storylines)