Hooker, a third round selection by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, is battling Nate Sudfeld for the No. 2 quarterback job in Detroit (behind starter Jared Goff).
Sudfeld is a former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback who was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He’s played in six career NFL games with zero starts.
Suffice it to say, Hooker is the quarterback with more upside.
But it’s Sudfeld who is listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the Lions’ first unofficial depth chart.
There’s still plenty of time for the depth chart to change before the start of the 2024 season (and it almost certainly will), but it definitely appears that Detroit is telling Hooker that the backup quarterback job isn’t his just yet — even though the franchise is obviously hoping that he runs with the job.
“Yeah, really he (Hooker) just needs to take a step up,” said Lions head coach Dan Campbell earlier this offseason (via SI.com). “We need to feel like, by the end of camp, this guy, he can run this offense. He can be somebody we know that, man, we can play the game a certain way with him, we know he’s gonna be able to process the information, he’s gonna get us in the right play and he’s gonna keep the ship afloat. That’s it. We don’t need him to come in and win a game, you just want to feel like, alright.”
On Monday, before a joint practice with the New York Giants, Campbell told reporters that Hooker “needs reps”.
“He (Hooker) just needs reps,” said Campbell. “And it doesn’t matter if it’s us or it’s them or it’s a game, he just needs reps and reps and reps. When he goes to bed, he needs reps, and he wakes up and he needs reps. And so anytime he can be out there and run the offense and function. It’s going to be good for him.”
Hooker’s flashed at times during training camp this summer, but he’s had some tough interceptions, too. It’s important to remember, though, that Hooker missed all of his rookie season. And he’s just now getting his feet wet in Detroit’s offense, which is obviously different than the up-tempo offense that Hooker ran at Tennessee. It’s an adjustment that takes time.
The Lions still have high hopes for Hooker, but it’s clear that the former Vol won’t be handed the backup quarterback job in Detroit — he’s going to have to go win it.
And I’m sure the ultra competitive Hooker wouldn’t have it any other way.
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