Even though it fortunately never became an issue over the last three seasons, the Detroit Lions' backup quarterback issue remains unresolved. Jared Goff has been remarkably healthy and productive ever since arriving in Detroit, and the Lions got away with having a less-than-ideal QB2 situation at times.
To solve this problem once and for all, the Lions drafted Hendon Hooker in the third round in 2023. Hooker hasn't shown enough since then for Lions fans to feel good about their QB depth. Because of this, the Lions brought in Teddy Bridgewater twice over the last two seasons.
This offseason, the Lions signed veteran QB Kyle Allen in free agency, with the hopes of having a competition with Hooker for the backup quarterback role. So far, the returns from that competition are not great, as The Athletic's Colton Pouncy recently reported that neither QB "flashed" during OTAs.
Kyle Allen Is on Thin Ice Heading into Lions Training Camp
Detroit wrapped up OTAs last week, and since they cancelled the mandatory minicamp, they will not reconvene until training camp in July. This means that neither Allen nor Hooker will get a chance to impress the coaching staff until then.
This puts Allen firmly on thin ice. Since Hooker was the presumptive QB2 to begin offseason and Allen was expected to challenge him for that role, the backup QB spot is still Hooker's to lose. If neither option has been looking good so far this offseason, Hooker will win the competition by default.
This would be a disappointing outcome for Allen, who should have a leg up against Hooker thanks to his prior NFL experience. The 29-year-old started games for three separate organizations, going 7-12 in those starts. He has shown enough flashes at times to be a QB2 in this league, but hasn't been able to put it together consistently.
Considering that the Lions have lofty ambitions, they may want to enter the season with better options at Goff's backup. Allen may find himself on the practice squad or looking for another team after training camp.