© 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.”
https://twitter.com/vxmcclure23/status/1239615851944448008?s=20
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.
