Hendon Hooker’s Time In Detroit Comes To An End

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.”

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.