The future of Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper is up in the air.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff indicated from the NFL Scouting Combine earlier on Tuesday that they will not place the franchise tag on their star pass catcher.
This is a clear indication that Hooper will hit the open market. If that is indeed the case, he seems to be as good as gone.
Hooper took to Instagram Tuesday night, posting a photo if him waiving goodbye.
The 25-year-old two-time Pro Bowler is coming off a career-best season that saw him record 75 receptions for nearly 800 yards while catching north of 77% of the passes thrown in his direction.
Not currently in a great cap situation, it’s going to be hard for Atlanta to retain the talented Hooper.
That would be magnified if fellow tight ends Travis Kelce and George Kittle inked record-breaking extensions ahead of free agency.