Former Vols QB Hendon Hooker should hope he's traded after latest NFL news

Hooker, a third round selection by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, has three years remaining on his rookie contract. That means barring injury, Hooker won't get a chance to start until he's nearly 30 years old. And that's assuming a team gives him a starting chance at that point (which is probably unlikely). 

Now, who knows what transpires over the next couple of years. It's not like Goff is Patrick Mahomes out there. He's a good quarterback, but he's not a superstar. He could go through some struggles (or suffer an injury...though Goff has been durable as a pro) and get benched, which could lead to a chance for Hooker. 

But for now, there's no clear path to playing time for Hooker, which is unbelievable considering he was a front runner for the Heisman Trophy in 2022 before a torn ACL prematurely ended his final season at Tennessee. 

The Lions should do Hooker a favor and trade him to a team where he could get a chance to start (somewhere like the New York Giants maybe?). Otherwise, Hooker may never get a legitimate chance to prove that he can be a star in the NFL. And after the season he had for the Vols in 2022, he more than deserves that chance. 

Hooker has done everything right as a football player. He's an elite leader, a tremendous athlete, an accurate passer, and he's incredibly tough. And yet he has no clear role in the NFL. Hopefully for his sake, he can find a way to the top of the depth chart somewhere in the NFL while he's still on his rookie deal. That's the only way that Hooker is going to have a shot to earn a lucrative free agent deal before turning 30.