Reports: Patriots signing LB Harold Landry III, TE Austin Hooper

Field Level Media|published: Sun 9th March, 21:32 2025

Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry III (58) celebrates the fumble recovery against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots signed free agent outside linebacker Harold Landry III on a three-year contract and re-signed tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year deal, according to media reports on Sunday night.

Landry, a one-time Pro Bowl selection who was recently released by the Tennessee Titans in a salary cap move, has a new contract worth $43.5 million with $26 million guaranteed, per reports.

Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is returning to New England on a $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million, ESPN reported.

Both players have connections to the Patriots' new head coach, Mike Vrabel, when he was at the helm of the Titans, as well as to other New England coaches.

Vrabel used a Titans second-round draft pick in 2018 to select Landry. The Patriots' new defensive coordinator, Terrell Williams, was the Titans' defensive line coach under Vrabel from 2018-23.

Hooper spent time with Vrabel at Tennessee in 2022 and with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Las Vegas in 2023, when McDaniels was the Raiders' head coach.

Landry, 28, was the Titans' longest-tenured player when he was released. He would have earned $17.5 million in base salary with a $24.05 million cap hit in 2025.

He started all 17 games last season and made 71 tackles with a team-high nine sacks as well as 15 tackles for loss, one safety, 15 quarterback hits and four pass breakups.

He has 397 career tackles in 98 regular-season games (79 starts) with 50.5 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 102 QB hits, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

After being voted to the Pro Bowl in 2021, Landry signed a five-year, $87 million deal in 2022 but tore his ACL in the preseason and missed the entire campaign.

Hooper, 30, caught 45 passes on 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (eight starts) in his first season in New England.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019, Hooper has 409 career receptions for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns in 139 regular-season games (76 starts) for the Atlanta Falcons (2016-19), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), Titans (2022), Raiders (2023) and Patriots.

The Falcons selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.

--Field Level Media

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