The Detroit Lions used a third-round pick on Hendon Hooker in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Tennessee product could leave the team before ever making a start for the organization. Selected at a time when nobody definitively knew if Jared Goff was the future for the Lions, Hooker spent the past two seasons as the second- or third-string quarterback while Goff stayed healthy and had a career resurgence.
To date, Hendon Hooker has appeared in just three games for the Lions, completing six of his nine pass attempts for 62 yards. After struggling in the preseason, head coach Dan Campbell hinted that the quarterback might perform better in a new environment.
“How much development do you believe there is? We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?” Campbell said, via Michael David Smith.
This isn’t the language you want to hear from a coach, and it highly suggests Hendon Hooker will not make the Lions Week 1 roster. However, there aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around, and a desperate team like the Las Vegas Raiders could send a late-round pick for his services.
Lions, Raiders Could Agree to Hendon Hooker Trade
The Las Vegas Raiders have their quarterback of the present in Geno Smith, but they don’t have a proper backup. Veteran Aidan O’Connell might not be a franchise quarterback, but the former fourth-round pick is an adequate short-term starter and one of the best backups in the league.
Unfortunately, he won’t be around for the immediate future. The third-year passer suffered a wrist injury in the preseason finale, sidelining him for the next six to eight weeks. With only undrafted free agent Cam Miller on the roster, Vegas needs a better Plan B for the upcoming season.
Hendon Hooker is far from the safest bet out there, and the Raiders could target a proven veteran. However, with Carson Wentz signing with the Minnesota Vikings, the team will probably have to wait for roster cuts. Seeing as Smith is well into his 30’s and the team doesn’t have a long-term answer to the position, perhaps the Raiders send a late-round pick to the Lions and see what Hendon Hooker can do in a new environment.
Would the Lions Do This?
The Detroit Lions would probably take whatever they could get for Hendon Hooker at this stage in his career. Jared Goff is clearly the quarterback of the present and future, and the organization seems to be more comfortable with a veteran backup. With Kyle Allen currently possessing the inside path to the backup job, Hooker doesn’t have a spot with this team.
Allen is nobody’s idea of a franchise quarterback, but he has some starting experience. While he’s primarily spent his career as a backup, he made 12 starts for the 2019 Carolina Panthers and didn’t look all that bad. Surrounded by subpar talent, the former undrafted free agent finished the season with a 5-7 record while completing 62.0% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
Main Photo: Junfu Han – Imagn Images
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