Many Atlanta Falcons fans were caught by surprise when they reunited with Austin Hooper in free agency on Monday. Yes, he played with Matt Ryan and for Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, but the expectation was that the Falcons were planning to add to the TE room during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Eli Stowers and Oscar Delp were believed to be on Atlanta's radar to play the Harold Fannin Jr. role, but Ian Cunningham quickly shut those talks down. In Stefanski's 2-TE system, Hooper is going to share the field with Kyle Pitts, who I'd almost guarantee won't be dealt, since why would they do that?
Instead, the Dirty Birds' big move at tight may not feel as big as it seems. In 2025, Charlie Woerner was the second tight end on the field for the Falcons because he was a good blocker, but now that they're bringing Hooper back, I would venture to say that Woerner won't be in Atlanta for much longer.
The Austin Hooper signing has sealed Charlie Woerner's fate in Atlanta
The 28-year-old has been a popular cap casualty for quite some time now, which is mainly because he's set to be a free agent next offseason. But Woerner also comes with a $5.75 million cap hit next season, but since there would only be $1 million in dead cap if he's cut, his release feels inevitable.
Woerner signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Falcons during the 2024 offseason after Jonnu Smith was released. He played a key part in Pitts' breakout season since his blocking prowess allowed them to use him more creatively as a receiver, but that won't matter with a better TE2 in town.
Hooper is a better receiver and a solid blocker, so his signing makes sense given Stefanski wants to set Michael Penix Jr. for as much success as humanly possible. This even makes sense to set up Tua Tagovailoa for success, but disaster would have to strike for Tua to see the field at any point in 2026.
This isn't about the QBs though, so that's beyond the point. The 2020 sixth-round pick from Georgia has been solid in years past for the Falcons, but for a team that has been pinching pennies because of a rough financial situation, Stefanski stands to gain a lot more from cutting him than keeping him.
The Falcons are forced to budget shop because of their limited cap space, so while it isn't a glamorous move, signing Hooper has given them a way out of the Woerner deal, which could help them recoup some extra cap space.