It took the New England Patriots three years to add an adequate and serviceable tight end after Rob Gronkowski’s sudden retirement. In doing so, New England landed Hunter Henry, who’s gone on to be one of the greatest tight ends in franchise history in just five years. The Patriots paired him with Austin Hooper over the last two years, who might be the best No. 2 tight end in the NFL.
Since joining the Patriots last season, Hooper has been excellent when he’s on the field. He’s been a reliable option for quarterback Drake Maye since his time as the starting quarterback began in Week 6 of the 2024 season. After filtering out Week 8 and Week 18 of the 2024 campaign due to Maye being injured and not playing for the full game. In 17 total games, Maye has completed 41 passes on 46 targets to Hooper for an 89.1 catch percentage.
Hooper does more for the team than just catching a majority of the passes that go his way; he’s also an important blocker in the run game. What I find essential is the way he quickly transitions from being a receiver to a blocker during a passing play. Or, if Maye turns a pass into a scramble, Hooper is always in the right place, ready to block for his teammates.
Patriots TE Austin Hooper Is NFL’s Best Backup at the Position
This season, Hooper has run 94 routes while being on the field for 113 pass snaps. With only two true tight ends on the roster, New England has run plays out of 12 personnel (two tight ends) 155 times, which is good for their second-most used personnel package at 36.9% and well above the league average of 24.1%, according to Sumer Sports.
The 10-year veteran made 10 receptions on 11 targets for 116 yards in Week 7, and he scored his first touchdown of the season on what was a perfect throw by Maye and an even better catch in the back corner of the end zone by Hooper. Maye has a 140.9 passer rating when targeting Hooper, who’s been on the field for 55.98% of the offensive snaps this season.
With the Patriots' rebuilt offense, their tight end position is really the only veteran-led group on this side of the ball. That’s important with a second-year quarterback calling the shots under center, to which he’s shown to be able to rely on both Hooper and Henry.
The Patriots have already signed Hooper twice in the past two years, both on one-year deals, with this most recent contract being slightly larger than the first. Despite being in his 31-year-old season, Hooper is still a valuable veteran on offense, one that I think is the best backup in the league at the position.