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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Austin Hooper #81 of the New England Patriots looks on during Super Bowl LX Opening Night at San Jose McEnery Convention Center on February 02, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons headed to halftime on Sunday Night Football with a 14-9 lead over the Baltimore Ravens.
Most of the usual suspects were in on the action, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Really just one notable name on the offense had yet to touch the ball: Austin Hooper.
Hooper, who is back with the Falcons after making the Super Bowl last season with the Patriots, is far from his prime.
But he’s also a player that Falcons fans expect to do a little bit each week.
And through halftime against the Ravens, Hooper was being shut out.
Is Austin Hooper Playing Tonight?
Yes, Hooper is active and playing for the Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
He just hasn’t been involved in anything with the football in the first half.
He doesn’t have an official target, although he has run some pass routes.
The Falcons had completed passes to just four players in the first half: Robinson, London, Pitts and Jahan Dotson.
Hooper isn’t a big part of the gameplan anymore, and he’s also got an odd role in the TE depth chart.
Falcons TE Depth Chart
Hooper is actually in some ways the TE4 on the depth chart.
That isn’t necessarily his role in the passing game, but as far as overall playing time, that’s how it works for him these days.
In Week 4, for example, Hooper got the fourth-most snaps of Falcons tight ends.
Pitts is clearly the top option in the passing game, but the Falcons use two other guys — Charlie Woerner and Nick Muse — mainly as blockers.
That means Hooper doesn’t get on the field a lot. When the Falcons want their TEs to block, they turn to Woerner and Muse. When they want a guy to throw to with that size, they look to Pitts.
Hooper is left to pick up the scraps.
Michael Penix Jr. has shown that he will throw to Hooper in the red zone this season, and a look or two could still be coming for the veteran tight end out of halftime.
But with Pitts having one of his better halves of the season so far, the Falcons haven’t need to throw to a different tight end. It’s certainly the best outcome for Atlanta if Pitts finds a groove. It just means Hooper gets left out in the rain.
Billy Heyen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with focus on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim’s basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men’s national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen
