Hendon Hooker's tenure with the Detroit Lions may be coming to an end.
Drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, Hooker didn't play at all in his first year as he recovered from injury. He finally got on the field last preseason, when Hooker showed some promise before winning the backup job.
But the Lions didn't show much faith in him late in the season when they signed Teddy Bridgewater. Fast forward to 2025 and Hooker has struggled mightily this preseason and has lost the QB2 competition to Kyle Allen.
Now, the Lions have to decide if Hooker is worth keeping around as the third signal-caller, or if they're going to use that roster spot to add extra depth at a different position.
Of course, there's a chance Hooker makes it through waivers if cut and the Lions bring him back on the practice squad, but it's also possible that the Tennessee product will look for a change of scenery and sign with a different team.
And the latter point is exactly what head coach Dan Campbell suggested after Hooker's lackluster outing in the preseason finale on Saturday.
"Look, it’s always going to be how much development do you believe there is," Campbell said. "Because look, we are talking about Hooker right now. How much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes does the player need a change of scenery? What about our own depth in other areas? I mentioned this the other day, relative to that – all right, maybe there is room to grow. Is that worth it for the depth we need at O-Line, D-Line, receiver, DB? And so those are all things you have to weigh."
When it comes to Hooker's development, it certainly seems like he's hit his ceiling. After all, the 27-year-old didn't show any progress in the preseason and one could certainly make the argument he looked worse than last year.
Campbell did go on to make the point that Hooker didn't get run with the first-team offense, which no doubt hurt his chances of succeeding, but it's important to note that neither did Allen, yet he was miles better than Hooker.
"Look, I wish Hooker, and I know he does — would’ve had a better outing, but you have to take it with a grain of salt. It’s not like he was playing with our first O-Line out there, or first team skill position — all of that. So you take that all into account as well. I thought he was prepared. I thought he was ready — looked pretty calm, just circumstances didn’t work out today, that’s all," Campbell said.
While it would be a very disappointing finish to his tenure in Detroit, the Lions should cut Hooker.
After what he's shown in four exhibition contests this year, there is nothing to suggest he's getting better and the Lions would be wise to carry another player at a different position rather than a third quarterback after their injury issues in 2024.
If Hooker makes it through waivers, adding him to the practice squad makes sense, but we'd fully expect him to look for a new home instead.
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Hendon Hooker's days with Detroit Lions should be numbered