It’s the totally unexpected things that can sometimes be the coolest things. Stuff like Jake Fromm locking down a job with the Lions despite every conceivable thing being against the possibility of it happening.
Hendon Hooker takes a bad hit against the Giants and the Lions say they’re looking to add a quarterback right before the Chiefs game in case Hooker can’t go. Nobody will say it out loud, but Fromm was just signed to wear a jersey on a Saturday in Kansas City and maybe throw the ball a couple times and then be cut at the end of camp. That was it.
When we asked Dan Campbell right after the Kansas City game if we would see Fromm against the Steelers, he basically said no.
“That’s tough, because we haven’t really gotten to see much of him. When we brought him in, it was dependent on when (Lions QB Hendon) Hooker can or can’t come back, ‘How much can we get him?’ And so, I don’t anticipate really getting to see him. I don’t want to say absolutely not, but I think the priority will be (Lions QB Hendon) Hooker and I think we need to get (Lions QB) Nate (Sudfeld) some reps and then we’ll see what’s there with Fromm.”
Then the day came and the Lions decided to just throw Fromm out there on the final two drives and call it a night. Fromm went out and look crisp and clean and went 6-8 for 89 yards. He nearly threw a touchdown on a perfect pass that was dropped into a bucket for Jake Funk and Funk just didn’t catch it.
Lions fans immediately took to social media and talked about how Fromm should get a spot over Nate Sudfeld. It was fun to talk about, but it didn’t at all seem realistic. Then it happened. Fromm got a spot on the Lions practice squad.
Lions GM Brad Holmes talked about it on Thursday and even he was wowed about how this all came together.
“When a quarterback can go out there and operate and be accurate for guys that he has not been working with, that’s impressive.” Holmes said. “It wasn’t just that. Obviously, there’s a lot more other things that he showed in a short amount of time that was not seen on film, but he was impressive in a short time. And so that’s what did it for him. And we’ll just see how it goes. You know, the more that we’re around them, you know, the more comfortable that that he’ll get.”
There’s still a lot to learn for the Lions and Fromm, but Fromm picked up the playbook fast and he’s here. He’ll be a big help to Jared Goff and the rest of the Lions starters on game day. He can help get guys ready to go. Maybe someday he can carve out a spot on the 53-man roster.