We hate to be wrong about this one, but it’s really looking like Ben Johnson could be leaving the Detroit Lions and that he could be the Las Vegas Raiders’ next head coach.
That means he’s going to take some people with him. We already talked about four coaches who could be headed out with him on Thursday, not it seems there’s a chance he could be leaving with more than just some coaches.
Sports Illustrated’s Raiders beat writer Hondo Carpenter said that the Raiders could look to trade for Hooker if they hire Johnson.
“[Hooker] already knows the Ben Johnson system and what if you get him for a second [round pick], or whatever you get him for,” said Carpenter (via RaidersBeat.com). “I think that’s fascinating. I don’t think it’s getting enough attention so I’m throwing it out there… I think that’s a very viable option for the Raiders. I’m not in any way reporting it’s done. Detroit would have to want to do the deal, but I think if the Raiders were to get Ben Johnson and he’s clearly the front runner…I think [Hooker] is a real possibility and I did not come up with that on my own.”
This is a move that makes a lot of sense for the Lions. Hooker has shown some growth, but he may not have fully gained the Lions’ trust this year as the team brought Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement a few weeks back and the thought is that if the Lions needed a backup, they’d be going to Bridgewater first.
There was a lot of talk from the Lions this summer that they would carry three quarterbacks in 2024 because Hooker just wasn’t ready yet. That might have been the case had Nate Sudeld not played so poorly in the preseason.
Couple that with the fact that Hooker just turned 27-years-old and the team is dedicated to Jared Goff for the foreseeable future and it just doesn’t make sense that Hooker is their next step at the position.
If the Lions were able to get a second-round pick for Hooker, they need to absolutely make that move. I wouldn’t even let the new Raiders GM finish his sentence before I said “Deal!” Ultimately that seems pretty high and the Lions would probably have a better shot at getting a third-round pick for him. That’s still a good deal by the way.
The Lions would be wiser to go with a younger quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft and build that player up for a while. If we had to pick, Ole Miss’ Jaxon Dart is the guy we’re going with at the bottom of the first round or in a trade-up in the second-round. Dart is currently 21-years-old and could benefit from some developing time. Maybe in 2027 or 2028, he’s ready to go and the Lions have that mobile guy with the big arm that the NFL is moving towards.
We’ll see what happens, but don’t be shocked to see Hooker in black and silver in 2025.