With Teddy Bridgewater set to retire, the Detroit Lions are left with two quarterbacks on roster. Neither are going anywhere, so it would appear the organization has its pairing for the future.
Jared Goff will be the team's franchise quarterback, while 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker is the heir apparent and will be the backup, barring any outside additions.
The Tennessee product spent most of last season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college, but was able to be added to the active roster ahead of the team's Week 16 game against Minnesota.
He still has yet to be active for a game, however, as he was the team's emergency third quarterback and an inactive on game days.
Still, he was able to grow through the reps he gained in practice after joining the active roster. The Lions devoted opportunities to the rookie, allowing him to gain experience.
"It gave me an opportunity to get my feet wet and see what real action looked like, especially in a competitive situation," Hooker explained. "Sometimes I'd be thrown into red zone, sometimes I'd be thrown into third down. So it's a blessing to be out there and to be able to command the huddle and direct guys and give guys accurate balls so they can be playmakers."
Despite focusing on rehabbing the injury and not getting physical reps for much of the season, he was able to continue his development by observing Goff and Bridgewater while on the sidelines.
"I’ve grown a lot, grown an awful lot,” Hooker said. “Just from coming in, not knowing what to expect, especially with my knee and rehabbing that and not knowing when I would be 100% to actually being 100% and continuing to learn the playbook while I’m not taking physical reps, which is a little awkward cause even growing up you still take physical reps. That’s how you learn plays when you’re growing up. But being able to be with Teddy and Jared and ask them questions and then they never hesitated to help me.”
Hooker threw for 8,874 yards at the college ranks, a clear sign of arm talent. However, there were still areas where he needed to grow as a rookie.
While he watched, Goff had an excellent season as he led the Lions on a historic season in 2024. Both Goff and Bridgewater played big roles in the rookie's growth.
"Jared's my guy. He's a great teammate, a great guy off the field and a baller, as you can see," Hooker said. "He can sling it, very smart, and sometimes I give him a little joke about his athleticism and call him 'Vanilla Vick.'"
Now, as he transitions into the backup role, the Lions' previous No. 2 signal-caller will be a leading mentor. Hooker plans to visit Bridgewater in Miami during the offseason, and called the veteran his quarterback coach this offseason.
Bridgewater would put Hooker through a play script after practices along with taking questions on various aspects of building a game plan.
This offseason will be a pivotal one for Hooker, who expressed a desire to continue building a connection with his Lions teammates.
“I don’t think I’ve been more excited to go into an offseason before in my life,” Hooker said. “But really I’m just excited to go work on my craft and polish these little details that I really want to embark on this offseason.”
More must-reads: