How Austin Hooper Could Be a Key Piece of Falcons' New Offense

FLOWERY BRANCH – Austin Hooper left the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 as a Pro Bowl tight end, but returns as a much different player. The 32-year-old is entering year 11 in the league, having played in a second Super Bowl and logged another 96 NFL games.

Experience like that can prove invaluable, and the Falcons are counting on it.

“[I’ve] got so much more understanding of just overall offense and understanding of situations,” Hooper said back in March. “The more you do something, the more familiar you are with it. That allows you to play faster.”

Hooper has experience playing for Kevin Stefanski (the 2020 and 2021 seasons), and those years were good to him. He accounted for 84 receptions for 780 yards and seven touchdowns as the second option to David Njoku. More importantly, Hooper understands what Stefanski wants to accomplish with his offensive philosophy.

“There are a lot of things that he does naturally in the pass game that you can't teach,” tight ends coach Kevin Koger said. “The one thing that's helping him extend his career is the run game aspect of it, and him being able to put his hands on people late in his career. I think that's helping him extend his career.”

Stefanski, a self-proclaimed tight end aficionado, will regularly have two on the field. Hooper’s two-way versatility as a pass catcher and run blocker, something Koger calls “things that you can't coach,” makes him an ideal second player for Kyle Pitts in this offense.

“He's a very quarterback-friendly target. I think it's very easy to throw to Austin Hooper, especially with the guys that we have at quarterback,” Koger said. “[Hooper] helps them a lot, just being able to know that [No.] 81, if he [the QB] does get flushed out of the pocket, 81 is gonna be right exactly where he should be. So I think that helps everybody out in the big picture.”

And the sixth-year Falcon says that he has already learned a great deal from Hooper over the last several weeks.

“You know he went to Stanford,” Pitts joked. “He’s very gifted, and he’s going on year 11, so that tells you a lot. He’s been able to sustain and play at a high level for going on 11 years. He’s mentally sharp, and it’s good to hear some things about how I can think quicker on the field and see things quicker that will allow me to play faster.”

In a tight room that emphasizes the ‘little things’ during organized team activities, experience helps this unit play faster and make a greater impact on Sundays. Having a player like Hooper has made everyone in that room better, says Koger.

“Hoop’s been here before, and he knows what to expect,” Koger explained. “He adds just a wealth of knowledge, and a guy that knows how to play football, a guy that can fill in multiple spots. So it's nice having a room like we have this year so far, in terms of guys that played a lot of snaps and that can make things right out there on the field.”

Hooper is not the Pro Bowl player Atlanta once featured, but that's not why he's here. The Falcons believe his greatest value now comes from everything he's learned since he left, and this hungry tight end room is eager to learn.

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