Patriots reportedly sign tight end Austin Hooper to one-year deal

FOXBORO -- Hunter Henry has another running mate in the Patriots' tight end room. New England has reportedly agreed on a one-year deal with two-time Pro Bowler Austin Hooper.

Hooper's deal with the Patriots is worth up to $4.25 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

The 29-year-old Hooper is coming off a season where he had had 25 catches for 234 yards -- but no touchdowns -- over 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders. It was the first season of his eight-year career that Hooper failed to find the end zone.

Hooper's best seasons came with the Atlanta Falcons in 2018 and 2019. He caught 71 passes for 660 yards and four touchdowns in 2018, and followed that up by setting career highs with 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. Hooper made the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons.

A third-round pick by the Falcons in 2016 out of Stanford, Hooper has also played for the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns in addition to the Raiders and the Falcons. In New England, he'll be reunited with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was his offensive coordinator in Cleveland. Hooper had 84 receptions for 774 yards and seven touchdowns over his two years in Cleveland under Van Pelt. 

Henry reportedly agreed to a new three-year deal with the Patriots last week, but New England needed another tight end following Mike Gesicki's reported departure for Cincinnati on Tuesday.