The Detroit Lions have themselves a pretty good quarterback. Jared Goff has played a major part in turning the organization around and has played a crucial part in their recent success.
Not only has his play been great, but he’s also remained relatively healthy throughout his four-year tenure, only missing three games in the 2021 season. The teams that end up winning the Super Bowl tend to have the fewest injuries, which is why it’s important to have quality depth.
We know that the quarterback plays the most important and valuable position in football, and having a reliable backup if Goff were to go down should be a priority for the Lions, given their championship-level team.
After Hendon Hooker’s performance in the preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, it’s safe to say he’s an afterthought to suit up if Goff were to get injured.
Hendon Hooker Is an Afterthought for the Lions Entering His 3rd Season
In their 17-10 win over the Falcons on Friday, Hendon Hooker had an awful showing. Hooker completed seven of 10 passes for 38 yards, but struggled with ball security, fumbling twice, both of which resulted in turnovers.
Hooker was supposed to play the entire first half, but was pulled early. Head coach Dan Campbell named the fumbles as the reason behind Hooker’s benching, opting to go with Kyle Allen for the remainder of the game.
"Look, Hooker made some good throws before. He was doing a few things, but we’ve got to get more work taking care of the ball."Dan Campbell, Lions Team Website
Allen took advantage of Hooker’s horrendous performance, completing seven of eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. After his performance, Allen increased his chances of being named the backup behind Goff, which puts Hooker’s future with the Lions in the air.
Hooker was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2023 draft. In his two years with the Lions, Hooker appeared in three games, recording six of nine passes for 21 yards.
The Lions didn’t select Hooker to be a third-string quarterback. They hoped that he could develop into a reliable backup that they could look to if Goff were to get hurt.
Hooker, 27, has not shown that so far, and his time has run out.