When Hendon Hooker was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2023 draft, the Detroit Lions saw him as their future quarterback-in-waiting.
Hendon Hooker’s Time In Detroit Comes To An End
The former SEC Offensive Player of the Year was still recovering from a devastating ACL tear, and it was understood he couldn’t be an immediate contributor. However, with Jared Goff firmly entrenched as the Lions’ franchise quarterback, Detroit had the luxury of drafting Hooker as a long-term development option.
Hooker, A Superior College Prospect
Before he was injured in November of 2022, Hooker was an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy. The Tennessee Volunteers were first in the SEC with an 8-0 record and ranked ninth nationally in total offense with an average of 324.1 yards per game. As a senior, Hooker completed 229 of 329 (69.6%) passes for 3,135 yards, with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. Earning an impressive 175.5 passer rating, he added 104 carries for 430 yards with five touchdowns.
After finishing fifth in the Heisman voting, Hooker declared for the draft while still recovering from his injury. As expected, the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young with the first pick. The Houston Texans chose C.J. Stroud second, and Anthony Richardson was drafted fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
However, when the Tennessee Titans passed over their hometown favorite to select Will Levis early in the second round with the 33rd pick, that had to sting. By comparison, Levis only averaged 200.9 yards per game with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. By the time the second round ended, Hooker was beginning to wonder just how much farther he would fall before his name was called. But, as the next quarterback chosen with the 68th pick, he could not have found a more perfect landing spot.
Hooker, A Rookie Quarterback-In-Waiting
The plan was for Hooker to spend his rookie season rehabbing with the Lions and absorbing all he could by watching Goff and backup Nate Sudfeld from the sidelines. He could sit back, study, learn, and get ready to play the following year. It was an ideal situation for Hooker, one that would allow him to make a smooth transition from college to the pros without the stress of having to perform immediately.
By 2024, a fully recovered Hooker attended his first training camp as a participant. He was excited to begin the next stage of his professional career. But Hooker quickly discovered that running an NFL offense was very different from what he experienced in college. But Hooker impressed his teammates with his work ethic and willingness to learn all he could.
Heavy Expectations of Hooker in Years Two And Three
But the pressure was on Hooker to step up. Dan Campbell was candid in his expectations for him to earn the number two slot. “We need to feel like by the end of camp this guy can run this offense,” Campbell said. “He’s somebody that we know we can play the game a certain way. We know he’s going to be able to process the information. He’s going to get us in the right play, and he’s going to keep the ship afloat. That’s it.”
Hooker succeeded in earning the number two position. However, after training camp, his progression seemed to stall. By the end of the season, veteran Teddy Bridgewater was signed as Goff’s backup. It was Bridgewater who took the field during the playoffs when Goff briefly exited the game after sustaining a minor injury.
Hooker’s Disappointing 2025 Preseason
Entering the 2025 preseason, Hooker had a target on his back. The clock was ticking, and the pressure was on for him to win the backup job over veteran Kyle Allen. Showing progress in training camp, the early reports were encouraging. However, Hooker’s improvement didn’t translate to the field during the Lions‘ preseason games. He completed only 22 of 40 passes for 187 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Although Hooker had a couple of impressive rushes for 52 additional yards, he also had two fumbles.
In fairness to Hooker, in preparing for games during training camp, he took first-team reps. Experienced NFL veterans know how to make the subtle adjustments that can mean the difference between a completed catch and an overthrown ball. But when he took the field at game time, Hooker was expected to duplicate that same success with inexperienced rookies and undrafted free agents. Consequently, not all the incomplete passes and interceptions were his fault.
A Difficult Decision
Late Monday afternoon, the Lions announced the release of Hooker. Unfortunately, Hooker’s performance just wasn’t good enough for a team aiming to win a Super Bowl this year. In determining which athletes make up the Lions’ 53-man roster, Campbell and Brad Holmes examine every aspect of a player’s contributions. It isn’t easy. For them, it’s one of the hardest aspects of their job.
When Campbell was asked how he makes those tough decisions, he admitted, “You’re going to take the totality of it. I know for me, that’s big. I want to know, start to finish, what did it look like. Was there constant improvement? Do you feel and see development through that time? I think where that would be a little bit – OK, man, the practices look really good, I see that, but all four of these games have not been good. That’s an issue. I think that’s an issue, because all of a sudden, the lights are on and we’re in real games and the coach isn’t behind you and there’s no script. That could be a little bit concerning. But… I take it in the whole, from the beginning. From start to where we’re at now, and I think that’s important that you don’t get skewed by just the Houston game. One game. You’ve got to be careful there.”
Lions releasing QB Hendon Hooker. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/qlWcifsOb2
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2025
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What’s Next for Hooker?
It takes time for a starting quarterback to build communication and trust with his receivers. Hooker is at a stage in his development where he needs consistent reps and the opportunity to get out there and play. He wasn’t going to get that sitting on the roster behind Allen. With his talent and skills, it may only be a matter of time before everything clicks. But whereas the Lions could invest time in Hooker’s future development in 2023, the team doesn’t have that luxury this year. Retaining Hooker as a third quarterback would mean sacrificing depth at another position. After last year’s injury-riddled season, that’s not something the Lions can afford to do.
It’s a tough blow for Hooker and the fans who embraced him. But it was the right decision for the team and for Hooker. He deserves an opportunity to play elsewhere. Just because he didn’t meet the standard in Detroit doesn’t mean Hooker won’t be successful with another team.
Sometimes, a change of scene is all it takes for a player to overcome his previous challenges. Sam Darnold struggled with multiple teams before he found incredible success with the Minnesota Vikings last year. Although Darnold was drafted by the Jets in 2018, it wasn’t until last year with the Vikings that he found a system and a team that completely meshed with his skill set. We can only hope that Hooker has a similarly successful outcome with a team better suited to his talent and that it happens sooner rather than later for him to find that success.
Main Photo: [Junfu Han] – Imagn Images
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