The Lions selected quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round of the 2023 draft, and it is anticipated that Hooker will be Jared Goff’s primary backup in 2024.
It doesn’t sound like he’s where he should be yet, though.
When Hooker sustained an ACL tear in the middle of his fantastic final season at Tennessee, it ended his season and damaged his draft prospects. Still, Detroit signed the powerful passer because they thought he was a valuable backup for QB Josh Goff. Teddy Bridgewater was later signed by the team to serve as Goff’s backup quarterback, however since Bridgewater has retired, the backup quarterback position is now open for grabs.
Nate Sudfeld is Hooker’s rival for the job; he toore his ACL in August of last year. Though it’s clear that Hooker has a far bigger ceiling than Sudfeld, Lions head coach Dan Campbell won’t just give Hooker the position.
Though he has occasionally had trouble with his accuracy, Hooker showed signs of promise during last week’s minicamp, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. According to Campbell, Hooker must “step up” in order to land the QB2 position.
By the end of training camp, Campbell stated, “We need to feel like this guy can run this offence.” “We know that with him, we can approach the game in a particular way. We are confident that he will be able to process the data. He will steer us towards the appropriate play and maintain the ship’s buoyancy. That concludes it.
Despite Goff’s recent big agreement and demonstration that he can lead the team to a Super Bowl, Woodyard says the Lions are dedicated to developing Hooker.
In order to achieve this, Detroit put Hooker through a “rigorous routine” during their offseason conditioning, and when the team returns for training camp, it is anticipated that he will have a good knowledge of the offence.
Campbell went on, “We don’t need him to come in and win a game.” All you want is to feel comfortable and at ease. It follows that he will undoubtedly need to step up.
During his 24-game tenure at Tennessee, Hooker, who had a less successful spell at Virginia Tech, threw for a staggering 58 touchdowns against just five interceptions in an offence that was obviously QB-friendly. Hooker added, “I’m just learning these lessons as I go.” I will pass some, and I will fail some. However, all that has to be done is learn and bank these reps. .. I’m just trying to get back into the routine of moving off my spot, finishing balls, and just playing freely. Just having fun as I did while I was in Tennessee.
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