The Detroit Lions haven't been shy about adding depth and competition to their quarterback room over the last year, even with former third-round pick and backup quarterback Hendon Hooker entering his third season.
The Lions drafted Hooker in the third round in the 2023 NFL draft and that first season served as kind of a redshirt year with Hooker coming off a torn ACL. He won the backup job coming out of training camp last season but was the third quarterback in the playoffs after Detroit signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater to be Jared Goff's backup for their playoff run. The Lions signed veteran quarterback Kyle Allen, 29, in free agency this offseason.
Where does that leave Hooker heading into 2025?
"I mean, look, it's just competition," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said. "That's all it is. I mean, look, we like Hendon, excited about him. I've always said about Hendon, you know, kind of a lot of steps on his journey coming out of high school and, you know, at Virginia Tech or Tennessee, like, it wasn't immediately he was the guy.
"He had the injury that first year, then last year, that was the first year that he kind of was able to do a full year of training camp and during the season. And then we brought Teddy Bridgewater in just because we were gearing up for the playoffs and postseason and he just wasn't ready yet, you know? And he understood that."
Holmes said he's still got high hopes for Hooker, but nobody's going to be given a job either. So if Hooker wants to be the No. 2 quarterback in 2025, then he's going to have to compete and win the role.
Hooker had some turnover issues in training camp last season but had a really solid preseason completing 29-of-44 passes for 300 yards with a touchdown, one interception and an 83.52 passer rating. He also rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on just 19 carries (7.3 average).
"Hooker, no different than Allen, are competing," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said last week when asked about Hooker at the Annual League Meetings. "The best way to help guys really reach their full potential is competition.
"You can say things. You can say things the best you can to prop them up. But at some point, you just have to go compete and it's him or you. I anticipate Hooker's going to compete. That's what he does."
Campbell is expecting Hooker to take a big leap heading into his second full offseason of a workout program and training camp competition. To win the backup job, he'll have to best the veteran Allen, who has played in 31 career NFL games (19 starts) and completed 62.7 percent of his passes with 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions for a 82.3 career passer rating.
Detroit also has veteran quarterback Jake Fromm on the roster. He's got a couple NFL starts under his belt in 2021 with the New York Giants and spent all of last season on Detroit's practice squad.
Hooker's ability to escape the pocket and use his legs as a weapon sets him apart from the other three quarterbacks in the room, though Allen does have some limited escape ability as well.
It's a big offseason for Hooker to prove he's taken another step in his development. To win the No. 2 quarterback job he has to show he can handle what new offensive coordinator John Morton throws his way and effectively and productively bring it to the practice field and preseason games.
