Earlier this week, the Detroit Lions joined the other 31 teams across the league as they cut their rosters down from 90 to 53 players.
For the Lions, it wasn’t easy to get down to 53, as they had a few guys during the preseason who made plays and stood out. At the same time, there were other players such as Hendon Hooker and Brodric Martin, who were drafted relatively high and struggled to live up to expectations.
Therefore, the Lions had to part ways with both guys, which isn’t easy for a front office to admit defeat on one, let alone two draft picks. And not to mention, Hooker and Martin were drafted with the 68th and 96th overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft
On Thursday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes met with the media, where he was asked a variety of topics about the team, including his thoughts on releasing the two former third-round picks.
Lions GM on the Hendon Hooker and Brodric Martin selections: "All you can do is put all the work in and feel good when you take the player. I feel there's risk involved with every single player. Unfortunately they did not meet expectations in a timely manner."
— Kory Woods (@KoryEWoods) August 28, 2025
Brad Holmes Admits Harsh Truth About Hendon Hooker and Brodric Martin
"All you can do is put all the work in and feel good when you take the player. I feel there’s risk involved with every single player. Unfortunately they did not meet expectations in a timely manner," Holmes said to reporters via Kory Woods of MLive.com.
The Lions general manager is right that there’s risk involved anytime you draft or sign a player in free agency. However, you hope that your evaluations and scouting pay off when it's time to put these guys on the field.
However, the fact that neither guy could find their footing with the Lions is very disappointing to say the least. Hooker should’ve beat out journeyman QB Kyle Allen for the backup job, but he couldn’t get out of his own way.
Meanwhile, Martin has barely played throughout the first two years of his career, thanks to injuries. This summer, the former third-round pick took some positive snaps in the preseason, but it wasn't enough to keep him on the team.
Despite getting released by the Lions, it didn’t take Hooker or Martin long to find their next jobs. Hooker was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad, while Martin was reportedly signed to the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.
It’s telling that neither guy could land a spot on their new teams’ 53-man rosters. Instead, they’re proceeding with caution to see if Hooker or Martin can develop, and actually, show they deserve to be on the 53-man roster.
Both players are back at square one, and you hope that they take this experience in Detroit and use it as motivation. The door isn’t closed on their NFL journeys, but they need to start meeting expectations as Holmes proclaimed on Thursday.