The New England Patriots were on the doorstep of reclaiming the Lombardi Trophy last season, but a Super Bowl loss left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. While the defeat to the Seattle Seahawks was deflating, it quickly became optimistic as the Patriots will look for the right moves to get them back to the big game during this year’s free agency period.

The free agent period is a big shuffle for every team in the NFL, but the Patriots are in a good spot. According to Spotrac, the Patriots have seven unrestricted free agents to worry about, and one of them, running back Antonio Gibson, was released by the team earlier this week.

Still, the Patriots can’t keep everybody, and that could mean the end for tight end Austin Hooper.

Austin Hooper Could Be a Casualty in the Patriots’ Search for Playmakers

Hooper has a solid case to return to the Patriots in 2026. A depth tight end behind Hunter Henry, Hooper caught 21 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. He was also reliable, catching 80.8% of his targets, posting a career-high 76.9% success rate, and didn’t drop a pass for the second straight season, according to Pro Football Focus.

For Spotrac’s projected cost of $2.4 million, the Patriots could keep Hooper and run it back in the tight end room next season. But several factors could prevent that from happening.

The first is Hooper’s production. While his stats are fine for a backup tight end, PFF logged him with 1.18 yards per route run, which ranked 37th out of 49 qualifying tight ends last season. That number also regressed dramatically from 1.65 yards per route run in 2024. In 2023, he averaged 0.87 yards per route run.

Hooper’s blocking is another problem. While he was fine in pass protection with two pressures allowed on 35 pass-blocking snaps, he’s logged a run blocking grade under 60 in three of the past four seasons, including a 56.8 grade for the Patriots last year.

But the biggest issue may have to do with what’s around Hooper. The Patriots need explosive playmakers around Drake Maye, and with rumors of a Stefon Diggs release, they’ll need to find pass-catchers that can make plays downfield.

Henry fit that description in some ways with 1.54 yards per route run, but that also came with six drops, which was tied for the sixth most among tight ends. The wide receiver position could also play a factor, as no player eclipsed more than 600 yards, with Kayshon Boutte second behind Diggs with 551 yards.

That could lead the Patriots to seek an upgrade not only over Hooper but also Henry this offseason. While Henry is under contract, Hooper could be the roster spot New England uses to add some youth and explosiveness to their offense, leaving the veteran to seek a job elsewhere when free agency begins.

More New England Patriots News & Rumors: