Former Tennessee Vols QB Hendon Hooker could be on the move this offseason, but ESPN says it might not be in the way most anticipated

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker, a former Tennessee Vols standout who was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, doesn't appear to be close to seeing the field in the NFL. 

Hooker, who missed most of his rookie season in the NFL while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered at Tennessee, attempted just nine passes for the Lions in 2024. 

Detroit seemingly sent a loud message about how they feel about Hooker by signing Teddy Bridgewater, who retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, ahead of the 2024 NFL playoffs. 

It was Bridgewater, instead of Hooker, who entered the Lions' playoff game against the Washington Commanders when Jared Goff was briefly forced from the game due to injury. 

The fact that Bridgewater, who spent the 2024 season as a high school football coach in Florida, saw action over Hooker would seem to suggest that the Lions aren't very confident in the former Vol. 

As a result, ESPN's Bill Barnwell singled out Hooker this week as a potential cut candidate for the Lions this offseason. 

From ESPN: The Lions don't have anybody playing meaningful snaps who sticks out as a likely cap casualty. 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.

Getting released would probably be tough for Hooker, but it might be what's best for his future. 

It's clear that Hooker doesn't have much of a future in Detroit. And considering he just turned 27 years old earlier this month, finding a new team this offseason might be his best chance to carve out a role in the NFL before turning 30. 

One thing about Hooker that could be hurting him in the NFL is that he's a bit of a "gamer". Remember, he was initially beat out by Joe Milton for the starting quarterback job at Tennessee in 2021. It wasn't until Milton suffered an injury and Hooker was forced into action that it became clear that Hooker was the better option. For whatever reason, Hooker seems to be a better player on gamedays than he is at practice. 

Maybe Hooker can land with an NFL team this offseason that will understand how to best utilize the former Vol's elite gameday skills.