ESPN’s Bill Barnwell raised some eyebrows last month when he suggested that the Detroit Lions could consider releasing former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker this offseason.
Hooker, a third round selection by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, attempted just nine passes for Detroit in 2024.
The former Vol was demoted to the No. 3 quarterback role in the playoffs after the Lions signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater (Bridgewater spent the 2024 regular season as a high school football coach in Florida).
“The Lions don’t have anybody playing meaningful snaps who sticks out as a likely cap casualty,” wrote Barnwell. “One potential candidate is the 27-year-old Hooker, who has thrown nine passes in two years. It seems telling that the Lions signed a quasi-retired Bridgewater at the end of the season and quickly pushed him ahead of Hooker on the depth chart, a move which ended up mattering when Jared Goff briefly left the playoff loss to the Commanders.Hooker is owed only $1.3 million in unguaranteed money in 2025, but he’s too inexperienced to be a reliable backup and too old to be a quarterback of the future, especially after Goff signed an extension last May.”
A new report from SI.com’s John Maakaron, however, suggests that Hooker is unlikely to exit Detroit this offseason.
“The Detroit Lions still value quarterback Hendon Hooker and his role as Jared Goff’s backup,” wrote Maakaron on Sunday. “With former passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand departing for the Jets to run their offense, many naturally expect the Jets to have interest in pursuing the 27-year-old. The expectation from those close to Hooker is he will remain in Motown to continue his development. According to those with knowledge of the situation, new offensive coordinator John Morton is very intrigued about the quarterbacks on the Lions’ roster, including Hooker.”
Hooker has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Since he’s an affordable backup quarterback, it certainly feels like Detroit is more likely than not to keep the former Vol for the remainder of his rookie deal.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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