The Las Vegas Raiders have added another weapon to their offense, signing two-time Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year deal, according to Jordan Schultz.
The Raiders needed a replacement for Darren Waller after the team shipped him to the New York Giants in a trade a week ago. Two days after they signed veteran tight end O.J. Howard to a contract, the Raiders now have a pair of reliable vets with the addition of Hooper.
Hooper enters his eighth season in the NFL this year after spending the first four years of his professional career with the Atlanta Falcons, where he carved out both of his Pro Bowl seasons in 2018 and 2019.
Following a career year in 2019 that saw Hooper catch 75 passes for 787 receiving yards and six touchdowns, he cashed in on a four-year, $42 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.
Hooper's tenure in Cleveland would only last two seasons though as he was unable to replicate his success from his time in Atlanta.
Last season Hooper played well in a backup role for the Tennessee Titans. He played in all 17 games for the Titans, starting two of them, while racking up 444 yards on 41 catches, finding the endzone twice.
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has been known to utilize a lot of 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) in his offense, so it's no surprise that he looked to replace Waller with not one but two capable players at the position.
While Austin Hooper and Howard aren't exactly big names at the tight end position, they both bring a veteran presence to a Raiders offense that will be led by new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
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