Falcons tight end Austin Hooper is expected to miss roughly one month of action with a knee injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Hooper presently leads all tight ends in catches, but he’s unlikely to finish with that mantle after sitting out several games in the second half of the season.
Hooper was forced out of Sunday’s game after hauling in four passes for 17 yards, including one touchdown catch. To date, he has 56 catches for 608 yards and six scores, positioning him as one of the best young TEs in the game today.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are 2-7, with no real shot at the postseason (less than 1%, according to FiveThirtyEight). By the time Hooper heals up, it might not behoove the Falcons to put him back on the field for the final three games of the year.
Without Hooper, the Falcons are expected to move forward with Luke Stocker and Jaeden Graham as their primary TEs. They might also add another TE to the mix, if they can find room on the 53-man roster. If they’re able to squeeze in a TE, Carson Meier could be a candidate for promotion.
Should have traded him