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Hendon Hooker

Lions Likely To Keep Three QBs; Nate Sudfeld In Lead For QB2 Job

August 21st, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jared Goff‘s career turnaround led to the former No. 1 overall pick joining the $50MM-per-year club, officially ending any speculation regarding his long-term future in Detroit. The Lions still have questions to answer behind their high-priced starter, however.

At this time last year, Detroit had signed Teddy Bridgewater to back up Goff. After playing out a one-year contract, the former first-rounder retired at 31 and is coaching high school football. This leaves Hendon Hooker and veteran Nate Sudfeld behind Goff. The reserves’ hierarchy seems out of step with where the Lions wanted it to be.

Sudfeld is leading the way to be Goff’s backup come Week 1, Dan Campbell said. Though, the Lions do not appear to be considering exposing Hooker to waivers. Campbell added, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett, the team will likely keep all three of its QBs on the active roster. The team also recently added Jake Fromm, who would seem a practice squad candidate (at best).

“You have to have conviction that whoever that (No. 2) guy is, is going to be able to keep this ship afloat and what we know about Hooker is, Hooker is a young, developing quarterback and he needs reps and he needs time,” Campbell said. “I do know that. And Nate right now has the upper hand because he’s played more.”

The Lions viewed Sudfeld as a shaky backup option last year, bringing in Bridgewater during training camp. The former Day 3 draftee did not factor into the team’s QB plans during the regular season, being ineligible after the Lions moved him to IR before the season. The team kept two QBs on its active roster last year, stashing Hooker on its reserve/NFI list, and carried only two passers on its 53-man team to start the 2021 and ’22 seasons as well.

Sudfeld, 30, still re-signed with the team this offseason. The Lions gave their third-year reserve QB a one-year, $1.21MM deal that included $300K guaranteed. Best known for being the player Doug Pederson threw into action to replace Jalen Hurts in a winnable Week 17 game in 2020, Sudfeld has managed to stick around for eight seasons. This will be Year 9 for the former Washington sixth-rounder. Sudfeld is 25-for-37 as a pro; he has not thrown a pass in a game since that much-discussed Philly-Washington matchup.

Several teams met with Hooker before the 2023 draft. Rumors about the Tennessee prospect being a second-round pick surfaced, but the ACL tear he sustained late in the 2022 season led to a value loss and a near-full-season rehab effort. The Lions stopped Hooker’s contract from tolling late last season, removing him from the NFI list in mid-December. Bridgewater remained Goff’s backup throughout last season, but the durable starter started all 20 Detroit games.

Campbell wants to continue Hooker’s development, even if that means the second-year QB not winning the backup job immediately. Sudfeld would not seem a tremendous impediment to Hooker, should he show improvement in the coming months. But for now, the second-year passer is on track to open the season as a third-stringer. Hooker not being ready also leaves the Lions a bit vulnerable, despite Sudfeld having been in Ben Johnson‘s system since 2022.

Lions HC Dan Campbell Discusses QB Hendon Hooker

June 9th, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Rory Parks

The expectation is that quarterback Hendon Hooker, whom the Lions selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, will serve as Jared Goff‘s primary backup in 2024. However, it does not sound as if he is where he needs to be just yet.

Hooker was in the midst of a terrific final season at Tennessee when he suffered an ACL tear that cut his season short and undermined his draft stock. Detroit added the big-armed passer anyway, viewing him as a talent worth developing behind Goff. The club subsequently signed Teddy Bridgewater to operate as Goff’s QB2, but with Bridgewater having retired, the backup quarterback role is there for the taking.

Hooker’s competition for the gig is Nate Sudfeld, who sustained an ACL tear of his own last August. Obviously, Hooker’s ceiling is much higher than Sudfeld’s, but Lions HC Dan Campbell will not simply hand the job to Hooker.

As ESPN’s Eric Woodyard writes, Hooker showed flashes of promise during last week’s minicamp, though he has also struggled at times with his accuracy. Per Campbell, Hooker will need to “take a step up” to secure the QB2 post.

“We need to feel like by the end of [training] camp this guy can run this offense,” Campbell said. “He’s somebody that we know we can play the game a certain way. We know he’s going to be able to process the information. He’s going to get us in the right play and he’s going to keep the ship afloat. That’s it.”

Woodyard says the Lions are committed to developing Hooker, despite Goff having proven that he is capable of leading the team on a Super Bowl run and landing a massive extension last month. To that end, Detroit put Hooker through a “rigorous routine” during their offseason work, and the expectation is that he will have a firm grasp on the offense when the club reconvenes for training camp.

“We don’t need him to come in and win a game,” Campbell added. “You just want to feel like, ‘all right.’ So obviously, he’s going to need to take another step up.”

Hooker, who threw for a whopping 58 touchdowns against just five interceptions in an admittedly QB-friendly offense during his 24-game run at Tennessee after a less productive stint at Virginia Tech, said, “I’m just learning these lessons as I go. I’m going to fail some, I’m going to pass some. But it’s all about just learning and banking these reps. … Just getting back into the rhythm of moving off my spot and completing balls and just playing free, that’s what I’m trying to get to. Just playing free like I was at Tennessee.”

Lions Waive Riley Patterson, Activate Hendon Hooker From Reserve/NFI List

December 19th, 2023 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

In his second stint with the Lions, Riley Patterson served as the team’s kicker for 13 games this season. The offseason trade acquisition made more than 88% of his field goal attempts, but the Lions are still moving on once again.

The Lions waived Patterson on Tuesday. This clears the path for Michael Badgley to take over. An internal competition will lead to Detroit making a full-on change. Dan Campbell said Patterson and Badgley had vied for the job over the past several weeks in practice. Despite Patterson remaining on Detroit’s active roster throughout this period, the Lions elevated Badgley to kick against the Broncos.

The job is now Badgley’s for good. Badgley operated as the Lions’ kicker to close last season. The team, however, swapped future seventh-round picks with the Jaguars to reacquire Patterson — a Lions kicker for seven games in 2021 — following Jacksonville’s Brandon McManus signing. Patterson now returns to the waiver wire.

Additionally, the Lions made the move to activate Hendon Hooker from their reserve/NFI list. Hooker suffered a torn ACL last November; the injury affected the Tennessee standout’s draft prospects. The Lions selected Hooker early in the third round but parked him on the NFI list. Tuesday’s activation will prevent Hooker’s rookie contract from tolling to 2027.

The Lions made the Patterson trade in May. Following a chain reaction that began with Sean Payton cutting McManus after a nine-season Broncos run, the Jags had discussed a trade with the Cowboys involving Patterson. But the Lions ended up sending a 2026 draft choice to reacquire the third-year specialist. The team used Badgley in 12 games last season and re-signed him on a practice squad deal after the Titans released him in August. Evidently impressive Badgley practice work will lead to the NFC North leaders shaking up their kicker situation.

Patterson has only attempted four field goals from beyond 40 yards this season; he is 3 of 4 on those kicks. Badgley was 9-for-11 from 40-49 yards last year and 2-for-3 from beyond 50. Patterson missed two PATs this season; Badgley did not miss an extra point last year with the Lions and was 6-for-6 in the team’s win over the Broncos on Saturday night.

This does mark an interesting switch for the Lions, who are on the verge of clinching their first division title in 30 years. The team initially cut Patterson to close out training camp in August 2022. Patterson ended up kicking throughout last season in Jacksonville. After the Lions went with Austin Seibert to start last season, they signed Badgley in early October. Badgley, 28, re-signed with Detroit in March but has been with three teams in 2023. Weeks after the Patterson trade, the Lions released Badgley, whom the Commanders and Titans subsequently cut. This complicated journey will lead him back into a role as the Lions’ primary kicker.

Hooker’s role suddenly looks clearer. The Lions are using Teddy Bridgewater as their backup quarterback this season, but the 31-year-old veteran is tied to a one-year contract. Bridgewater also announced over the weekend he plans to retire following the season. With Bridgewater planning to become a high school coach, the Lions have Hooker penciled in as Goff’s long-term backup.

The Lions have been cautious with Hooker, keeping him on the NFI list well into November and using his full activation window before moving him to the 53-man roster. Detroit now has three QBs on its 53-man roster and a fourth (David Blough) on its practice squad.

Lions Designate Hendon Hooker For Return

November 29th, 2023 at 12:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Lions’ 8-3 start has put Hendon Hooker‘s rookie season on the back burner, the third-round pick will put on a uniform this season. He will start with a practice jersey. The Lions designated Hooker for return from the reserve/NFI list Wednesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Hooker fell in the draft due to the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 19, 2022. The Lions have exercised considerable caution with their QB project, with this return designation coming 53 weeks later. This marks the second straight year a key Lions draftee will return to practice after spending much of the season on the NFI list. Jameson Williams came back in December of last season after sustaining an ACL tear in January 2022.

Dan Campbell hinted (via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers) a Hooker practice debut would happen soon. With Jared Goff healthy and entrenched as Detroit’s starter and signed through 2024 (with an extension on the radar), the Lions can take their time with Hooker, whom they chose 68th overall. While it is unlikely the Tennessee- and Virginia Tech-developed QB prospect will play this season, he is moving close to a potential role as the team’s emergency quarterback on gamedays. Even that may be a bridge too far, as the Lions have used a two-QB gameday setup thus far.

If Hooker is not activated in the next three weeks, he must spend the season on the NFI list. Were that to happen, Hooker would see his rookie contract toll, moving the four-year deal from 2024-27 instead of 2023-26. Rather, the Lions had planned to activate the rookie when he became eligible.

Hooker met with several teams during the pre-draft process. Gauging the former Heisman candidate’s rehab process made sense for QB-seeking clubs. Rumors about Hooker potentially going as high as the late first round circulated, but he fell out of Round 2. The Lions had traded down from No. 63 to 68, and they stopped Hooker’s slide. They are in the unusual position of developing a quarterback who will likely not be viewed as even a backup option until his age-26 season. Hooker spending five seasons in college, using his extra eligibility year the NCAA granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely affected his draft slot as well. Campbell said Hooker’s age was not a factor for them.

Detroit appeared to be OK going into the season with only Nate Sudfeld behind Goff, but the team signed Teddy Bridgewater in July. The veteran has not been needed this season, but he stands to finish out the year as the Lions’ backup. The Lions would have a spot for Hooker, as the No. 3 QB, with Sudfeld on season-ending IR. David Blough sits as Detroit’s de facto QB3, residing on the practice squad. Hooker’s return could affect Blough, but the Lions may also keep all four once they activate the rookie.

Prior to his ACL tear, the 6-foot-3 prospect piloted Tennessee to five wins over ranked competition — including a shootout conquest over Alabama — last season. Hooker finished his two-year Vols run with 58 touchdown passes and five interceptions; the six-year collegian was far less prolific at Virginia Tech. As our Ely Allen pointed out in April, Hooker playing in what is viewed as a QB-friendly offense at Tennessee could affect his NFL development. The Lions will begin that process in earnest today.

Lions Announce 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Ben Levine

We knew the Lions were going to make a handful of QB transactions leading up to today’s deadline, with Hendon Hooker destined for NFI and Nate Sudfeld tearing his ACL. Of course, the team made many additional moves to get to the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Activated from PUP:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Placed on IR:

Released from IR:

Craig Reynolds spent the past two seasons with the Lions, and he made the most of his opportunities while on the field. He was limited to 14 games across the two seasons, but the RB still posted 500 yards from scrimmage on 94 touches. With a new-look depth chart in 2022, Reynolds found himself on the outside looking in.

The same goes for Benny Snell, who joined the organization earlier this offseason. The running back has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, starting five of his 63 appearances. He didn’t miss a game for Pittsburgh over the past three seasons, although he’s seen a drop in productivity. After compiling 429 yards from scrimmage during the 2020 campaign, Snell has only collected 218 yards in 34 games since.

Lions QB Hendon Hooker To Begin Season On NFI List

August 28th, 2023 at 10:43am CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 28: Hooker will indeed begin the 2023 season on the NFI list, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. That will force the first-year passer to miss the first four games of the season, though as noted below, that was likely to happen regardless of his roster status. In light of Sudfeld’s ACL tear, it is fair to wonder if Detroit will scour the market for another signal-caller, or if the team will keep rookie UDFA Adrian Martinez as its QB3.

AUGUST 21: The Lions added Jared Goff insurance earlier this month with the signing of Teddy Bridgewater, but questions still surround their quarterback depth chart. How Detroit proceeds at the position will depend in large part on the recovery made by third-round rookie Hendon Hooker.

The latter is currently on the non-football injury list as he continues to recover from the ACL tear which ended his college career. That was the expected move to open training camp, but an important decision will need to be made as roster cutdowns loom. Teams will be required to trim their 90-man squads to 53 by August 29, though players with an NFI designation do not count toward the total.

Players who begin the season on the NFI list are required to miss at least the first four games of the season, something which will likely happen in any event in Hooker’s case. The Tennessee product has said, on the other hand, that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab. That process has involved individual drills conducted after training camp practices, giving the team opportunities to track his progress. Depending on how much further along his recovery is by next week, Detroit could elect to not only start the season with Hooker on the NFI list, but keep him there throughout his rookie campaign.

In that event, the team would have the option of tolling the first season of his four-year rookie contract. With 2023 slated to essentially be a redshirt year for the 25-year-old, such action would likely come as little surprise. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports, however, that the Lions are not considering tolling Hooker’s first year, instead planning on placing him on the active roster at the first opportunity.

Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed that no firm decision has been made as of yet with respect to Hooker’s short-term future. The Lions have Goff, Bridgewater and Nate Sudfeld in place as healthy signal-callers at the moment, but Hooker will receive plenty of attention if and when he does get an opportunity to play given his success with the Volunteers and draft stock prior to the ACL injury.

“Once we start hearing… like, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming on,’ we get the, ‘OK, you guys may have a decision to make sooner than later,” Campbell said when asked about Hooker’s status. “But we’re not even going to worry about it right now.”

Lions Place QB Hendon Hooker On NFI List

July 20th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Hendon Hooker will begin his first NFL training camp on the sideline. The team announced that they’ve placed the rookie quarterback on the active/non-football injury list.

The Tennessee product was a favorite for the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after tossing 27 touchdowns vs. only two interceptions in 11 games (he added another five touchdowns on the ground). However, a torn ACL and meniscus ended his college career prematurely, and he ended up sliding to the Lions in the third round of the draft.

While Hooker has continued to tell reporters that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from the knee injury, the Lions have also made it clear that they’re going to take it slow with the rookie. Fortunately for the organization, there isn’t any urgency to get the quarterback on the field, and even if he was healthy heading into training camp, Hooker probably wouldn’t be in contention for a significant role in 2023.

The Lions still have Jared Goff atop their depth chart, and if the veteran is able to repeat his production from last year, there’s a good chance the Lions will keep him under center for the 2024 season, as well. The team also has Nate Sudfeld as a serviceable backup, meaning Hooker will likely be eyeing a QB3 role for his rookie campaign. In the meantime, UDFA Adrian Martinez will get some extra run during training camp and the preseason.

The Lions also placed tight end Derrick Deese Jr. and defensive lineman Zach Morton on the NFI list today. Morton is an undrafted free agent out of nearby Akron, and he joined the Lions following a 2022 campaign where he compiled 4.5 sacks. Deese spent most of his 2022 rookie season on Detroit’s practice squad before inking a futures contract.

QB Notes: Hooker, Dolphins, Watson, Draft

July 13th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions added one of the draft’s most talked-about quarterbacks in Hendon Hooker. The third-rounder is rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his college career, and 2023 is not expected to see him on the field much, if at all.

Hooker has been making progress in his recovery, however, and he indicated last month that he is ahead of schedule. Detroit has no need to rush the Tennessee alum, with veteran Jared Goff in place and high expectations for the offense as a whole after last year’s performance. Hooker remains on a positive track to be available at some point during the year.

The 25-year-old said that he is “progressing very well,” via Cora Hall of the Knoxville News Sentinel. The Lions are not thought to be seeking an addition to their QB room, pointing further to Hooker being available if need be, perhaps as early as the fall. His recovery will be worth watching during training camp and the preseason.

Here are some other quarterback-related notes:

  • Plenty of attention will be focused on the pivot position during the season for the Dolphins, given the health uncertainty surrounding Tua Tagovailoa. The backup spot is up for grabs this summer, with 2022 second-rounder Skylar Thompson and free agent signing Mike White vying for the QB2 role. The former “appears to have the early lead” in the competition, per Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network. Thompson made two starts to close out the regular season, and was in place for the team’s narrow playoff loss to the Bills. Moving on from veteran Teddy Bridgewater, Miami inked White to a two-year, $8MM deal. That investment was larger than the team anticipated they would make, and it is noteworthy White could be third in the pecking order heading into training camp. Beasley notes that the Dolphins’ Week 1 backup may not yet be on the current roster, and Bridgewater is one of a few veterans still on the open market.
  • Deshaun Watson‘s 11-game suspension made his debut Browns campaign a shortened one, and his brief stint at the end of the season was far from the Pro Bowl level of production he has demonstrated earlier in his career. During his first full offseason in Cleveland, though, the returns have been impressive. Watson drew positive reviews for his work in the spring in addressing the issues most prevalent in his 2022 play, as noted by Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan. A step forward from the 27-year-old – along with the Browns’ re-tooled receiver room – would go a long way in helping Cleveland return to the postseason and justifying the team’s enormous investment (in both trade capital and finances) in him.
  • The 2024 draft class is headlined by a few highly-touted passers, and it comes as no surprise that USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are receiving the most attention at the top of the board. The pair are thought to be in a QB tier of their own entering the college season, as detailed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Williams won the Heisman trophy in 2022 and has drawn comparisons to Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Trevor Lawrence with respect to how he is rated as an NFL prospect. Maye, meanwhile, finds himself behind Williams in summer rankings, but trainer Jordan Palmer (one of the evaluators with whom Breer discussed the top QB prospects) stated that he would be the No. 1 option at the position in most drafts. Wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. has been named as a possible contender for the top pick in April, but Williams and Maye likely represent the favorites for that distinction heading into the fall.

Lions Content With QB Room; Latest On Hendon Hooker

June 9th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions are set atop the depth chart at the quarterback position for this season, but the injury to rookie Hendon Hooker could leave them thin with respect to backup options at the start of the campaign. Despite that, an addition under center should not be expected at this time.

Detroit has Goff on the books for the next two years, but he is only due guranteed money for 2023, leading to questions about his long-term future in the Motor City. The Lions have given thought to extending the former No. 1 pick, though, so attention is currently focused on the team’s backup and third-string options while Hooker recovers from ACL surgery.

The Tennessee product will occupy one of those spots on the depth chart when healthy, but for now the only other two passers in place are Nate Sudfeld and Adrian Martinez. The former was re-signed after spending last season in Detroit, while the latter joined the team as an undrafted rookie. Each have received a vote of confidence from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

“I love the room right now,” Johnson said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). “There’s a great camaraderie in there and I think that’s really important when you define that backup quarterback position. It’s not only a guy that can go in and win games, but for the majority of the season, if all things go right, he’s there to support that starter… We have that right now, not only with Nate and Hendon and Adrian.”

Hooker’s ACL tear hurt his draft stock and helped lead to his drop to the third round in this year’s draft. Head coach Dan Campbell has already deemed 2023 a redshirt season for the 25-year-old, despite the expectation that he will be able to suit up at some point during his rookie campaign. On that point, Hooker is continuing to make progress during his rehab, and indicated that he is currently ahead of schedule.

The former Volunteer has resumed throwing, as detailed by Birkett, though it remains uncertain at this point if Hooker will be able to take part in training camp next month. Considering he suffered the injury in November, a return to full health by July would be quite impressive. Regardless of Hooker’s recovery timeline, though, the Lions are unlikely to be in the market for added depth at the QB spot in the coming weeks.

“The truth really comes out, I believe, when you have the bullets flying for real, which we can’t have right now,” Johnson added. “So, the training camp will tell us a lot about where we’re at behind Jared, but so far, [I] feel really good about that room.”

Lions Sign Hendon Hooker; QB Not Expected To Play In 2023

May 12th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Along with the previously-reported deals for offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal and wide receiver Antoine Green, the Lions announced on Friday that they have signed quarterback Hendon Hooker to his four-year rookie contract.

The Tennessee alum was one of the wild cards in this year’s draft class, given his productive time with the Volunteers. An ACL tear which ended his final college season, along with his age (25) were factors which worked against him at the draft, and they led to his slide down the board to No. 68 overall. It was at that point in the third round that the Lions selected him, leading to questions about starter Jared Goff‘s long-term prospects with the franchise.

In the immediate future, however, the latter (who was made aware of the Hooker selection in advance) is secure atop the QB depth chart. Hooker’s recovery from the ACL injury, along with his acclimation to the pro game in general (something of particular importance given the unique Tennessee scheme he is coming from) is expected to keep him sidelined for the 2023 campaign despite positive reports on the former front.

“Really, this is a redshirt year for him,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Hooker on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “He’s got to get this leg right first and then he’ll learn under Jared, and then let’s see what happens. If he can eventually become your two or maybe down the road, later on, it’s more than that, but it’s going to be a long time.”

Sitting out the first year of his rookie pact will make the age factor even more prominent in evaluations and expectations of Hooker, though Campbell recently stated that his age was not a detriment to the team’s willingness to draft him as a potential Goff successor. With the latter on the books for two more seasons, a patient approach could prove to be a fruitful one for Detroit.

The Lions are considering an extension for Goff, however, which could delay Hooker’s opportunity to ascend to the QB1 spot. Given the team’s success on offense in 2022 with Goff at the helm, a repeat performance this season could leave Detroit with an interesting decision to make under center with respect to their setup for 2024 and beyond. In any case, that season is the earliest in which appearances from Hooker can be expected.

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