The Detroit Lions spent the last two seasons building into Hendon Hooker as a backup quarterback, but when Jared Goff went down in the playoffs the team skipped him over in favor of a player only recently added to the roster.
Goff was briefly knocked out of the team’s divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders, forcing the Lions to turn to veteran Teddy Bridgewater in relief. Bridgewater retired following the 2023 season and took up a job coaching high school football, but came out of retirement and rejoined the Lions late in the season.
The team’s decision to skip over Hooker has led to speculation about his long-term future in Detroit, leading one insider to suggest the team could bring in a new option this offseason.
Lions Could Turn to Former High Draft Pick
Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports suggested the Lions could look into signing former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson to serve as Goff’s backup for 2025 — or at least provide some competition for the spot in training camp.
“If the Lions don’t see a future with Hendon Hooker, Wilson is someone who could come in and get a chance to impress at camp,” Payton wrote. “Frankly, even if they do stick with Hooker, bringing in Wilson this summer is worth it to see what he can do in a good situation with guys that have rebuilt a quarterback into an MVP-level player.”
Wilson did not see the field in the 2024 season, falling to third string behind rookie Bo Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham.
Hooker saw little playing time behind the durable Goff, appearing in three games and going 6-for-9 for 62 yards.
Lions Could Move Hendon Hooker
Though the Lions invested a third-round pick on Hooker, his future in Detroit remains unclear. He spent the majority of his rookie season rehabbing a torn ACL that cut short his final college season at Tennessee, then saw little time in his second year as Goff cemented his status as the starter and earned a contract extension.
ESPN’s Tim Hasselbeck suggested this week that the Lions could consider trading Hookier to the New York Jets, reuniting him with former offensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
“With Aaron Glenn being there, and the way things have gone in Detroit, is Hendon Hooker available? Is there a way to get Hendon Hooker in house?” Hasselbeck said. “If for some reason the people that were around him there felt like he was somebody that could turn into a starting quarterback.”
The Jets are reportedly moving on from Aaron Rodgers in the offseason, and Hooker would be likely to compete for the backup job behind either a new veteran signal-caller or a top rookie.
The Lions could also go another way with Hooker’s future. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested the Lions could use Hooker as part of a blockbuster trade deal. He suggested the Lions could package their next two first-round picks along with Hooker to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for edge rusher Maxx Crosby and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
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