Raiders Rumors: Austin Hooper Agrees to 1-Year Contract After 1 Season with Titans

The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly reached a one-year, $2.8 million contract with tight end Austin Hooper on Wednesday.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the deal could be worth up to $3.5 million.

Hooper spent the 2022 season with the Tennessee Titans, recording 41 receptions for 444 yards and two touchdowns. While he did not return to his career heights seen during his tenure in Atlanta, Hooper did improve on his production from his disappointing two-year stint in Cleveland.

The Browns released Hooper last March two years into a four-year, $44 million contract he signed in 2020. He did not top 46 receptions or 435 yards with Cleveland after posting back-to-back 70-catch seasons in 2018 and 2019 with the Falcons.

The Raiders were in the market for a tight end after trading Pro Bowler Darren Waller to the New York Giants earlier this month. Waller was a breakout star in 2019 and 2020 before injuries limited him to just 20 games over the past two seasons.

Hooper is a significantly less productive player than Waller at his peak but comes at a fraction of the cost. Waller signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders last offseason and is the NFL's highest-paid tight end on an annual basis.

The Raiders still could look to improve their tight end depth in the draft, but the additions of Hooper and fellow free-agent signing O.J. Howard give them a pair of veterans to slot in for at least 2023.