Who Should I Start? MyCole Pruitt or Austin Hooper

Sunday, December 22, 8:25 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end MyCole Pruitt caught one of two targets against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, finding the end zone from one yard out. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw to three of his four tight ends in the loss, but Pruitt was the only one to catch a touchdown pass from the veteran signal-caller. This game was somewhat of an outlier for the 32-year-old, who now has six catches, 40 yards, and one touchdown in 2024. He's off the fantasy radar going forward.

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.