A former college star is getting a change of scenery after a rough preseason with the Detroit Lions.
Hendon Hooker was among the Lions’ final cuts on Monday, two years after the team used a third-round pick on him. Veteran Kyle Allen beat him up for the team’s backup quarterback job.
The move seemed inevitable when Lions coach Dan Campbell suggested Hooker might need a “change of scenery” following a rough preseason. Hooker was given the chance to compete for the backup job but was thoroughly outplayed by Allen, and turned the ball over five times in three games.
The Lions used a fairly high draft pick on Hooker in 2023, enough that there was speculation that the team might view him as a long-term solution at the quarterback position. He had been a star at Tennessee, but a devastating knee injury permanently altered the trajectory of his career. It did not help that Hooker was old for a collegiate player, and was already 25 when the Lions picked him.
Hooker flashed pro potential while with the Volunteers. In 2023, he threw for 3,135 yards, rushed for 430 more, and scored 32 total touchdowns in just 11 games. He was viewed as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering his season-ending injury.
The Lions were left with little choice but to make this move. Other teams will likely take the chance on the athletic 27-year-old, but his lack of development means he is probably a career backup at best.
