Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Elijah Higgins

Sunday, March 9, 8:57 PM

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

Monday, September 30, 7:51 AM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins caught two of his three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders. Filling in for the injured Trey McBride (concussion), Higgins had a favorable matchup against a Commanders defense that has struggled in pass coverage this season. However, he failed to capitalize, as the Cardinals managed just 142 passing yards despite shifting to a pass-heavy game script. Although Higgins was on the field most of the snaps, there seemed to be no emphasis on getting him the ball. Given his limited involvement in this opportunity, Higgins remains a long shot as a streaming option next week against the San Francisco 49ers.