Pats Pulpit
Hooper signed a one-year contract to stay with the Patriots earlier this offseason.
The New England Patriots were more selective with re-signing their own players in this year’s free agency compared to 2024. They did, however, make sure to keep one of their most productive offensive pieces from last season in the fold.
Tight end Austin Hooper, who is coming off a 45-catch, 476-yard, 3-touchdown campaign, returned to the team via a one-year, $5 million contract. The deal is a clear increase from last year’s pact — one year, $3 million — and there is potential for an even bigger pay bump.
A look at Hooper’s contract incentives, as first reported by salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, illustrates this.
2025: Up to $2M
$250,000: 50 receptions
$250,000: 55 receptions
$250,000: 60 receptions
$250,000: 65 receptions
$250,000: 60% offensive snaps
$250,000: 65% offensive snaps
$250,000: 70% offensive snaps
$250,000: 75% offensive snaps
On top of his contract’s base value of $5 million, Hooper can also earn up to $2 million in incentives to potentially increase his cash intake by 40 percent. Based on his 2024 season, all of those incentives are classified as not likely to be earned. That said, there is reason for cautious optimism for the 30-year-old.
After Drake Maye took over as starting quarterback in Week 5, after all, Hooper caught 38 of his 45 total passes in 2024. If extrapolating that number over a full 17-game season, he would have finished with 54 catches or just one short of his second receptions escalator.
Both receptions and playing time might be harder to come by given the offseason additions of wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams, but the chemistry Hooper showed with Maye was encouraging. Add the fact that new Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels typically likes to get his tight ends involved, and the team’s nominal TE2 reaching at least some incentives seems entirely within his capabilities.
