Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted Tuesday he’s unsure of what to expect from quarterback Hendon Hooker in 2024.
Hooker, the 2023 third-round pick, spent the bulk of the season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during his senior season at Tennessee. He practiced for the first time on Nov. 29 and served as the team’s emergency third quarterback for the final three games of the regular season and in the postseason.
“I would say it’s hard because he was coming off the injury,” Campbell said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, via Pro Football Talk. “He didn’t get to play, but he got a ton of — by the end of the year call it — probably three months of practice time and did a lot of scout time. He learned from Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff — seven-and-seven, a few team reps, good-on-good. The best I can tell you is there was growth. We saw growth, and that’s encouraging. That’s all we can ask at this point. I don’t think we entirely know what he is yet. There’s not enough evidence, but I know this: We saw progress, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Hendon Hooker looking to lock down backup QB job
Hooker, who transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech following the 2020 season, was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation during his two seasons in Knoxville. In 24 games, he threw for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions on 68.9% passing. Hooker was one of the favorites for the 2022 Heisman Trophy before the injury. He finished fifth in voting.
With Goff entering the final year of his deal this season, Detroit brought in Hooker with the future of its quarterback room in mind. Bridgewater announced his retirement after the 2023 season, giving Hooker the opportunity to lock down the backup job to Goff this season. Hooker said earlier this month that being around Goff and Bridgewater helped his growth this past season, even if he never saw the field.
“I’ve grown a lot, grown an awful lot,” Hooker said, via the team’s official website. “Just from coming in not knowing what to expect, especially with my knee and rehabbing that and not knowing when I would be 100 percent. To actually being 100 percent and continuing to learn the playbook while not taking physical reps, which is a little awkward. But being able to be with Teddy and Jared and ask them questions they never hesitated to help me.”