Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Austin Hooper

Sunday, June 9, 5:18 PM

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller announced his retirement on Sunday. There was talk about this, so the news isn't surprising to many. The 2015 sixth-round pick spent his first two seasons in Baltimore before spending five seasons with Oakland/Las Vegas. It was with the Raiders where he made a name for himself, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and becoming widely known as one of the NFL's top tight ends. Unfortunately, Waller battled injuries over the years, and he finished his final season in the league with the Giants by amassing only 552 yards and a touchdown off 52 catches. But with Waller now out of the equation, Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson are the favorites to fill the void at the position moving ahead, with both men likely battling throughout training camp for the right to sit atop the depth chart.

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.