On Sunday, NFL teams finalized their 53-man rosters. This meant that they had to make difficult decisions on who to cut and who to retain for the season. It also resulted in plenty of capable veterans hitting the waiver wire and the free agent market. There are now several former Lions who are waiting for their next deals before the start of the season.
One of those players is quarterback Hendon Hooker. The 28-year-old signal-caller had signed with the Tennessee Titans early in the offseason. After spending OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and preseason with the Titans, Hooker was released on Sunday.
Ex-Lions QB Hendon Hooker is back on the market after the Titans' release
Given Hooker's first three years in the league and the Titans' quarterback room, this is hardly surprising. The former third-round pick had entered camp behind Cam Ward, Mitch Trubisky, and Will Levis. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to do enough to earn himself a roster spot.
Instead, the Titans decided to bring two QBs onto the 53-man roster: Ward and Trubisky.
If Hooker clears waivers, he will be a free agent and will be allowed to sign anywhere. Teams have until 1 pm EST on Monday to make their waiver claims. It's difficult to imagine any team going out of their way to claim Hooker off waivers. What is a more likely outcome is him ending up on a practice squad.
This has been the trend for Hooker ever since he left Detroit. Almost exactly one year ago, Hooker was waived by the Lions ahead of his third season in the league. He then joined the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. He was released in November and signed with the New York Jets in December. He was promoted to the active roster late in the season, but didn't take any snaps.
After the season, Hooker signed with the Titans. He was given an opportunity to climb up the depth chart, but his preseason performances left plenty to be desired. He played in all three preseason games for the Titans, going for 7/10 for 72 yards and adding 27 rushing yards. In the preseason finale against the Bears, he received a 40.7 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus, which essentially sealed his fate.
Hooker will be remembered as the rare miss by GM Brad Holmes in the 2023 NFL Draft. After nailing the first four picks of the draft- Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell, and Brian Branch- the Lions selected Hooker to see whether he could grow into a capable NFL quarterback. It obviously hasn't worked out.
Detroit still hasn't found a reliable backup for Jared Goff, as they have been trying different veteran options every year. After getting burned by Hooker, the Lions haven't taken a chance on another quarterback in the draft, either.
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