Hendon Hooker wins backup quarterback job for the Lions

A step forward for Hooker.

With the news of Nate Sudfeld getting released today, it’s official — Hendon Hooker has won the backup quarterback job for the Detroit Lions. The former Tennessee Volunteer didn’t play at all last season, still rehabbing from an incredibly untimely ACL tear. The injury forced Hooker to miss the entire physical part of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Hooker ended up dropping to the third round, where the Lions came in and took a shot on the injured prospect. Their first chance to see their return on investment has been this preseason, where Hooker has been excelling.

Hooker finished up the preseason with 300 yards passing, completing 29 of his 44 attempts. He tossed one touchdown and one interception, adding 138 yards and a score on the ground.

That performance was enough to win the QB2 battle over Nate Sudfeld.

Hooker now officially settles in behind starter Jared Goff, who inked a four-year extension with the Lions back in May. Barring injury, Hooker’s best path to playing time might come by way of a trade at some point down the road. Remember too, Hooker is already 26 years old, so the clock is ticking a little faster than most second-year quarterbacks.

We’ll see what happens, but Hooker’s NFL career is certainly off to a nice start.