© Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
You read that right. On the same day that the 49ers reportedly extended Arik Armstead for five years and up to $85 million, it was reported that they were among the teams to make a run at Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper.
Hooper has reportedly signed with the Cleveland Browns on a four-year, $44 million deal, which will make him the highest-paid tight end in football at $42 million. He confirmed as much per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, saying, “I’m definitely leaning Cleveland. Unless something comes up unexpected, then no question Cleveland is the leader.”
I'm told Austin Hooper's contract is four years, $44 million with $23 million guaranteed.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 16, 2020
But as Michael Silver of NFL Network reported, the Browns weren’t the only team involved in the Hooper sweepstakes. Despite their limited cap space (projected at just under $10 million on OverTheCap before the Armstead deal is factored in), Silver reported that the 49ers were among a handful of other teams — including the Redkins, Packers and Bears — who made an attempt to sign Hooper.
SF, Washington, Green Bay, Chicago also made a run https://t.co/FfWAsvevsm
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 16, 2020
A Hooper-Kittle tandem would’ve been the best TE pairing since the Rob Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez pairing in New England. Hooper caught 75 passes for 787 yards and six TDs en route to his second consecutive Pro Bowl.