What the Lions should do with backup QB Hendon Hooker after the Goff extension

The Detroit Lions made a third-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft that just didn't make sense then, didn't make sense after the 2023 season and now that Jared Goff has signed a massive four-year extension that pays him "you're not sitting on the bench at any point" money, it makes an all time low level of sense. 

Ok, I fully understand the idea of having a premium backup quarterback if Hooker turns out to be such. We don't know yet. Hooker will get a chance to take some snaps for the first time in his career this preseason. If he shows that he can be a decent quarterback, it's in the Lions best interest that they find a trade partner for him. It's in Hooker's best interest too. 

I bring up Hooker's age a lot, but it is higher than most players that are at this stage of their careers. He's 26-years-old and he hasn't taken a snap yet. Now he's relegated to being the team's backup for the foreseeable future. By the time Goff's deal is up in 2028, Hooker will be 30-years-old.

If you've seen any interview with Hooker or listened to him talk at Allen Park, then you know that this is a guy that talks like someone that wants to be a starting quarterback some day. Not someone who wants to be a backup. 

Since the window for that to happen is shorter because he's so much older than the average guy at this stage, he has half the time the average guy gets to make his mark. He can't do that from the bench. 

I'm not saying he has a chance to go start somewhere right now, but there are teams like the Giants, Cowboys, Saints, Raiders and Jets that are all going to be looking for their next option very soon. Hooker could realistically get a shot in 2024 on a couple of those teams if their current starter does poorly. I'm looking in the Raiders and Saints directions here. 

As for Detroit, a good backup is a good thing to have, there's just better options than Hooker though. If he's great, then that's a win for the short term, but there's really no point in which the young guy takes over for the old guy becasue when the old guy leaves, Hooker will be the the old guy too.

The Lions could take another shot next year with a younger player that they can build and develop and then when Goff has taken his last snap with the Lions, maybe you have a guy ready to takeover there. 

We'll see what happens in August. We're going to learn a lot about what Hooker is capable of in the NFL. If he's capable of enough, the Lions should listen to some phone calls.