CLEVELAND, Ohio. Baker Mayfield may be out of town soon, and now one of his best friends on the team is definitely gone.
The Browns are releasing Austin Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowl tight end, as a nomination after June 1, according to league source Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Hooper, who was signed by the Browns to a four-year, $10.5 million-a-year contract ahead of the 2020 season, was never successful and had no on-field chemistry with Mayfield despite being from the start tied to Mayfield’s thigh. The blockbuster deal made him the highest paid tight end in the NFL for a short period.
According to Spotrac.com, after the June 1 cut, the Browns will keep the $13.25 million Hooper cap until June 1, after which they will release $9.5 million in the cap.
The letter was on the wall for Hooper when David Njoku received a franchise label for 2022 worth almost $11 million a year, making him the highest paid tight end on the team. With Njoku eclipsing Hooper as the No. 1 tight end, it looked like he wouldn’t be staying long with the Browns. It also elevates 2020 fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant to second place in the Browns’ often-used two-tight sets. They will also likely be looking for another tight end in the draft or free agency.
Hooper finished second on the team with 38 catches for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. In two seasons, he has 84 receptions for 780 yards and 7 touchdowns, a far cry from the results he had in Atlanta in 2018 and 2019 when he was voted into the Pro Bowl in subsequent years with the Pro Bowl. defender Matt Ryan serves him the ball.
Like Odell Beckham Jr. before him, Hooper failed to build any chemistry with Mayfield, who would disappear if the Browns got Deshawn Watson, and his production suffered here. The new ball drop problem has also reared its ugly head in his two seasons here.
At Atlanta in 2018 and 2019, he averaged 73 receptions, 70+ yards, and five TD receptions. He also only lost two assists in each of those years. In each of those seasons, he was ranked 19th and 7th among Pro Football Focus tights, respectively.
In 2020, Hooper dropped to No. 22 in the PFF rankings and caught just 46 passes for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He also missed five passes out of his 70 targets and didn’t look like himself in the Pro Bowl. During the off-season, the Browns assured Hooper that they would target him and increase his role, and coach Kevin Stefansky stated the same in a press conference.
But quickly went south. Hooper lost at least three passes in the FirstEnergy Stadium scramble, and it proved to be the harbinger of his worst season of his career. As Mayfield struggled with accuracy after tearing his upper lip in his left non-throwing shoulder, Hooper and all the receivers suffered. In hindsight, he probably should have shut it down and let Case Keenum take the reins.
Hooper only caught 38 of 61 targets and missed six passes, which is 13.6%. He dropped to 30th in the PFF tight end rankings.
When he arrived in Cleveland, he quickly bonded with Mayfield, hanging out with him off the field, playing golf with him, and practicing with him during the off-season to develop their timing. It didn’t work. Hooper and Mayfield never got along, despite their best efforts.
Nevertheless, Hooper remained one of Mayfield’s staunchest supporters through the darkest season of his career.
“Everyone in this building believes in him,” Hooper said as he began the farewell week. “No matter where you stand with anything, anyone, you can never doubt Beck’s resilience and there’s a week for him to just recover on his own, that’s huge. We all believe in him. We believed in him. We will continue to believe in him. He is the leader of our football team, so I mean, we are ready to see how he will be.”
Now it looks like they both could have gone.
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