Austin Hooper Bio
Austin Manuel Hooper is an American professional football tight end who has spent a decade in the National Football League (NFL). Born on October 29, 1994, in San Mateo, California, he is best known for his productive years with the Atlanta Falcons, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections. After stops with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots, he returned to the Falcons in 2026.
A former college standout at Stanford University, Hooper entered the league in 2016 and quickly developed into a reliable pass-catching tight end. Over the course of his NFL career, he has accumulated more than 4,400 receiving yards and 30 touchdown receptions, establishing himself as a consistent contributor on every roster he has joined.
Early Life and Background
Austin Manuel Hooper was born and raised in San Mateo, California, where he spent his early years before pursuing football at the high school level. He attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California, a program with a storied national reputation for producing top-tier talent. While at De La Salle, Hooper played for the football team and began drawing the attention of college recruiters across the country.
Hooper was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit, while ESPN listed him as a four-star recruit and ranked him as the 261st player overall in the nation regardless of position. He was listed as a defensive end by Rivals during the recruiting process, illustrating the versatility that has defined his career. He eventually committed to Stanford University, choosing the Cardinal over other programs that had extended scholarship offers.
Path to American Football
Hooper arrived at Stanford in 2013 and redshirted his first year with the program, preserving a year of eligibility while learning the Cardinal’s offensive system. In 2014, he played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and recorded 40 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns. His strong first season on the field helped him earn Second-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors.
As a sophomore in 2015, Hooper continued his steady rise, finishing the year with 34 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns. During an upset victory over then-sixth-ranked USC, he posted a career-best 79 receiving yards and a touchdown in a single game. He was later named a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation’s top college tight end, and he earned First-team All-Pac-12 recognition along with Third-team All-American honors. On January 4, 2016, Hooper announced that he would forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.
Austin Hooper Career
Pre-Draft and Draft (2016)
Hooper was one of 15 tight ends invited to the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he finished third at his position in the 40-yard dash, fourth in the bench press, fifth in the three-cone drill, and sixth in the vertical jump. He also worked out at Stanford’s Pro Day on March 17, 2016, performing positional drills in front of scouts and team representatives. He was projected as a second or third round pick and was ranked the second-best tight end prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Hooper in the third round with the 81st overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He was the second tight end taken, behind Arkansas’ Hunter Henry, who was drafted 35th overall by the San Diego Chargers. On May 5, 2016, the Falcons signed Hooper to a four-year, $3.21 million contract that included a signing bonus of $773,428, beginning his professional career.
Atlanta Falcons (2016–2019)
Hooper made his NFL debut in the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recording his first career catch on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Matt Ryan. Three weeks later, he caught his first career touchdown, a 42-yard pass from Ryan in a victory over the Carolina Panthers. As a rookie, he finished the year with 19 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Falcons reach Super Bowl LI, where he scored a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the 34–28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots.
In 2017, Hooper became the Falcons’ starting tight end and produced 49 receptions for 526 yards and three touchdowns. He topped the 2018 campaign with 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection as a replacement for the Philadelphia Eagles’ Zach Ertz. In 2019, he recorded 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns, securing his second Pro Bowl nod as a replacement for the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle.
Cleveland Browns (2020–2021)
On March 20, 2020, Hooper signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Cleveland Browns that included a $10 million signing bonus. In his first season with the team, he recorded 46 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns, including seven catches for 46 yards and a touchdown in a Wild Card Round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He followed that with 38 receptions for 345 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, but the Browns released him on March 17, 2022.
Tennessee Titans (2022)
Hooper signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans on March 21, 2022. He appeared in all 17 games and finished the season with 41 receptions for 444 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in a Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. His veteran presence helped stabilize a Titans offense that relied heavily on the run game.
Las Vegas Raiders (2023)
On March 22, 2023, Hooper signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he served primarily as a complementary piece in the passing game. He played in 17 games with nine starts and finished the year with 25 receptions for 234 yards. Although his statistical production was more modest than in prior stops, he provided experienced depth and dependable blocking for the Raiders’ offense.
New England Patriots (2024–2025)
Hooper signed with the New England Patriots on March 14, 2024, and recorded 45 receptions for 476 yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the team. On March 9, 2025, he re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $5 million contract, finishing the 2025 campaign with 21 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared in Super Bowl LX, recording two receptions for 10 yards in a 29–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Atlanta Falcons (2026–Present)
On March 9, 2026, Hooper signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract to return to the Atlanta Falcons, the team that originally drafted him a decade earlier. The reunion provided him a chance to finish his career with the organization that launched his NFL journey. Heading into the new season, Hooper continued to be valued for his pass-catching ability, red-zone presence, and veteran leadership in the locker room.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hooper has long been recognized for his reliable hands, smooth route-running, and ability to create mismatches against linebackers and safeties. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 254 pounds, he possesses the size to hold up as an in-line blocker while still functioning as a productive receiver. His understanding of zone concepts and timing-based passing attacks has made him a dependable chain-mover throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Hooper’s signature moments are his 19-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl LI and his career-high 10-reception game against the Cleveland Browns in 2018. He surpassed 4,000 career receiving yards during the 2024 season with the Patriots and reached 30 career receiving touchdowns during the 2025 campaign. His two Pro Bowl selections in 2018 and 2019 cemented his reputation as one of the league’s top tight ends during that stretch.
Austin Hooper Career Wins
Although tight ends are not typically judged by win totals, Hooper has contributed to several successful team campaigns, including the Atlanta Falcons’ run to Super Bowl LI after the 2016 season and the Cleveland Browns’ first playoff victory in nearly two decades during the 2020 postseason. He has also played in more than 140 regular-season games across his career, providing consistent production for every franchise that has employed him.
Atlanta Falcons Highlights
Hooper’s most productive stretch came during his first tenure with the Atlanta Falcons from 2016 through 2019. He appeared in Super Bowl LI, earned two Pro Bowl selections in 2018 and 2019, and set personal bests of 75 receptions and 787 receiving yards in his final season with the team. His chemistry with quarterback Matt Ryan was a defining element of those Falcons offenses.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond Atlanta, Hooper helped lead the Cleveland Browns to a Wild Card Round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021 and reached Super Bowl LX with the New England Patriots following the 2025 season. He also produced a steady 41-catch season with the Tennessee Titans in 2022, demonstrating his ability to contribute on competitive rosters.
Austin Hooper Family
Family Background and Heritage
Hooper is of African-American, Mexican, Irish, Native American, and Belgian descent, a diverse heritage that has shaped his personal identity. He has spoken publicly about his mixed background and the importance of representing multiple cultural traditions throughout his life and career.
Personal Life
Hooper keeps much of his personal life out of the public eye, and limited verified details are available about his immediate family or marital status. He has spent the bulk of his professional career based on the West Coast and in the Northeast, and he continues to maintain an active presence on social media, where he shares updates about his football journey.
2025 Season Performance
Hooper re-signed with the New England Patriots on March 9, 2025, agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract. He finished the regular season with 21 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns, serving primarily as a veteran presence in a tight end room that relied on his experience and blocking ability. His role within the offense was more rotational than in prior seasons, but he remained a trusted target in key situations.
The Patriots’ strong 2025 campaign carried them into Super Bowl LX, where Hooper contributed two receptions for 10 yards in a 29–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The run to the championship game represented one of the deepest postseason pushes of his career and reinforced his value as a dependable contributor on a contending roster. With the season concluded, Hooper entered free agency and ultimately returned to the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year, $3.25 million contract in March 2026.
