Austin Hooper Fantasy

Tennessee Titans tight end Austin Hooper has been getting targeted frequently by quarterback Ryan Tannehill in OTAs. Titans Reporter Jim Wyatt reported, "Hooper continues to be a popular target for Tannehill in these practices, and he's been consistent catching the football. His best catch on Wednesday was a running grab on the sideline on a nice ball thrown by Tannehill." Hooper should enter the season as the clear TE1 for Tennessee following the departure of Anthony Firkser to Atlanta, and Tannehill may need to rely on him now that wide receiver A.J. Brown is in Philadelphia. Hooper's veteran presence could prove especially valuable with the Titans' other primary pass catchers being rookie Treylon Burks and Robert Woods recovering from an ACL tear. The 27-year-old Hooper had a disappointing stint in Cleveland, finishing as the TE24 even though he appeared in 16 games, but he had back-to-back TE6 finishes in 2018 and 2019 with Atlanta.

Jun. 2nd • 9:13 AM

Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing with the Tennessee Titans on Friday, according to a source. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting that it's a one-year, $6 million deal. The Cleveland Browns slapped the franchise tag on David Njoku and later released Hooper after he signed a four-year, $42 million deal with the team back in 2020. The 27-year-old was a pretty big disappointment after breaking out with the Atlanta Falcons, as he had 84 catches for 780 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 regular season games for the Browns in two seasons. Tennessee also has Geoff Swaim at the position, but Hooper should immediately become the top pass-catching option, giving him an opportunity to be fantasy relevant again on a weekly basis.

Mar. 18th • 4:06 PM

The Cleveland Browns plan to release tight end Austin Hooper as a post-June 1 designation, according to a source. The 27-year-old dual-threat tight end and two-time Pro Bowler will now be on the open market. It makes perfect sense after the Browns placed the franchise tag on fellow tight end David Njoku. Hooper's two-year, $42 million deal was a bust for the Browns, as the former Falcons tight end had 84 catches for 780 yards and seven touchdowns on 131 targets in his two seasons with Cleveland. In his two Pro Bowl seasons with the Falcons the two previous years, he had 146 receptions, 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns on 185 targets. Hooper could become attractive again in fantasy in the right situation, while Njoku's fantasy stock will see a sizable boost with Hooper out of the picture in Cleveland.

Mar. 16th • 11:52 AM