Hooper’s deal is worth up to $7 million. He finished last season with 45 receptions for 476 yards and three touchdowns, sharing the tight end room with Hunter Henry while the Patriots transitioned to Drake Maye at quarterback. New England decided to bring the 30-year-old back into the fold as a dependable pass-catcher for Maye. Though he is not likely to be a consistent fantasy player, Hooper adds valuable in-line reps to a Pats team still needing to build out their receiver room.

Hooper will end his first season in New England with 476 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 45 catches (59 targets). The 30-year-old was also third on the team with five pass plays over 20 yards and showed a little bit of juice after a disappointing season last year in Las Vegas. That’s important for Hooper, who will enter the offseason as a free agent. He’s unlikely to land a starting job next season, but he could easily be the second tight end on a team that utilizes two tight ends often. Regardless, he figures to need an injury ahead of him on the depth chart to be fantasy-relevant in 2025, no matter where he signs.

Hooper continues to be a key part of the Pats’ short-yardage rotations. He worked in tandem with Hunter Henry and caught all of Drake Maye’s tight end targets, tallying three catches for 19 yards. He’s quietly been productive this season, and ranks in the TE2 mix for Week 18.

Hooper is improbably in line for his third TE1 finish over his last four games, pending the results of Sunday and Monday Night Football. The veteran tight end remains an unsettling TE1 floor play against the Chargers in Week 17.