The Detroit Lions selected Hendon Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft with the hopes he could develop into a high-end backup quarterback. With Jared Goff already in place, the Lions could afford to wait out a torn ACL suffered in Hooker’s final season at Tennessee and allow him to develop at his own pace, either becoming Goff’s understudy in the future or an enticing trade chip for teams starving for quarterback play.
Two years later, Hooker finds himself on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad and unable to get into a game. While Bryce Young (ankle) and Andy Dalton (thumb) are nursing injuries heading into Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye reported that the Panthers are signing Mike White to the practice squad.
Having White on the practice squad is concerning for Hooker, but so is Kaye’s additional note that the newly signed QB could be elevated from the practice squad to be Dalton’s backup on Sunday, repeating the same issue Hooker ran into during his time in Detroit.
Packers Quarterback Decision Sends a Clear Message About Hendon Hooker
Hooker may have gotten a pass during his rookie season due to his injury, but his second year didn’t turn out much better. After beginning the year as Goff’s backup, Hooker was eventually replaced by Teddy Bridgewater, who spent most of the 2024 season coaching high school football in retirement.
The situation got more concerning when Bridgewater went into a divisional playoff game over Hooker after Goff had to come out for a few snaps, but Hooker had one last chance to prove himself this preseason. Battling against veteran Kyle Allen, Hooker fumbled the opportunity and was among the team’s roster cuts before signing on the Panthers’ practice squad.
Sitting behind Young and Allen and working with an offensive-minded head coach in Dave Canales could have been a boost to Hooker’s career. But Canales’ decision to keep Dalton after he injured his thumb in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills hinted that they didn’t trust Hooker to get into a game.
If that was a whisper that Hooker was having trouble in Carolina, White’s signing is a statement through a megaphone. The 29-year-old rose to notoriety during his time with the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022, but he has since bounced around with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, posting a 2-5 career record as a starter while completing 61.4% of his passes for 2,247 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Failing to beat out two career backups is alarming enough. Losing out to a backup for a practice squad elevation is enough to have someone rethink their career choices. Drafting Hooker was a rare misfire by Lions general manager Brad Holmes' front office, and the Panthers’ reluctance to trust him may be validation that they made the right choice to move on.