The New England Patriots have been very busy just ahead of NFL free agency opening up.
On Sunday night, the Patriots were able to lock up free agent pass rusher Harold Landry to a big three-year, $43.5 million contract. It was a nice step in the right direction for New England, but the front office wasn't done there.
Right after the news broke about the Landry signing, the Patriots also agree to terms with tight end Austin Hooper.
Hooper was a key part of the offense in 2024 and was an important weapon for Drake Maye. He was re-signed one a one-year, $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the move to re-sign Hooper.
Coming into the offseason, building around Drake Maye was the main priority offensively. New England likely isn't close to being done with their offseason. They still have loads of cap space to work with.
Being able to keep Hooper was an important piece of building around the young franchise quarterback. He was a great security blanket target for Maye last year.
During the 2024 NFL season with the Patriots, Hooper ended up playing in all 17 regular season games. He caught 45 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns.
At 30 years old, Hooper has proven that he is still more than capable of playing a key role.
Landing Hooper at such a cheap price will keep the tight end room intact and leave plenty of room for other moves.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM.