Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper is set to hit free agency in March, and when he does, he will be the best player available at his position.
Taking that into consideration, it's no surprise that Hooper is expected to reset the market for tight ends:
“Let's say like $44 million over four years, and totally guarantee the first two years at $26.5 million,” said former NFL agent Joel Corry of a potential deal Hooper could get, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “The player would probably want a three-year deal. Hooper is 25 years old. His best football is ahead of him. If he can put himself [in position] for a contract extension after playing two years when he's still in his prime, that would be preferable to him.”
That would put the Falcons talent at $11 million per year, which would break the mark Jimmy Graham set when he landed a deal from the New Orleans Saints that paid him $10 million annually back in 2009.
Additionally, Hooper's hypothetical $26.5 million in guaranteed money would shatter the $22 million guaranteed that Trey Burton received from the Chicago Bears in March 2018.
There are other notable tight ends who will be on the market next month, such as Hunter Henry and Eric Ebron, but Hooper is certainly the best of the bunch given his combination of talent, production and durability.
Hooper is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he played 13 games and hauled in 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.
Since entering the NFL in 2016, Hooper has missed just five games and played back-to-back full 16-game seasons in 2017 and 2018.
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