An element of surprise could be the difference between a breakout season and a lost one. Campbell might be sitting on a bombshell.
Dan Campbell had a 2024 campaign that will be remembered as a mixed bag. On one hand, the Detroit Lions head coach secured the number one seed in the NFC. On the other hand, his team slumped to a rookie Washington Commanders quarterback in the second playoff game of his NFL career.
Now, he needs to figure a way forward after losing a regretful Ben Johnson to the division rival Chicago Bears.
One way teams burst onto the scene is by correctly harnessing the element of surprise. The Commanders managed this with Jayden Daniels in the regular season. Then, they somehow managed to do it again in January by sending the Buccaneers home, despite Shannon Sharpe’s endorsement of Baker Mayfield.
Campbell was taken by surprise, but he might have one of his own hiding in the background.
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Mike Florio and Rodney Harrison claim Lions have a secret
Writing in a February 14 article for Pro Football Talk, NFL experts Mike Florio and Rodney Harrison opened up the idea that Jared Goff’s backup quarterback Hendon Hooker could be a franchise guy lying in wait.
He wrote: “New Jets coach Aaron Glenn, who has been the defensive coordinator in Detroit for all of Hooker’s NFL career, knows Hooker as well as anyone. If he’s got ‘it,’ Glenn will know.”
“Of course, if the 27-year-old Hooker has “it,” the Lions will know, too. Rodney [Harrison] suggested that the Lions are perhaps trying to keep Hooker’s skills and abilities under wraps while they possibly plot a future transition from Jared Goff to Hooker,” he added.
Florio went on to recall that Tony Romo was a similar story. Sean Payton was aware of Romo, but the Cowboys refused to give up their backup quarterback. Once the Cowboys made the transition, there was no going back. The case could be similar for Hooker.
Dan Campbell’s secret is a complete Wild Card
Hendon Hooker, 27 years old, is getting up there when it comes to starting for a franchise for the first time. However, even if he were to start tomorrow, the quarterback would still be able to give close to a decade to the Lions. Of course, he would need to prove he has the stuff, first.
His college resume gives it a distinct possibility. According to Sports Reference, Hooker threw for 58 touchdowns and five interceptions in his last two years. He had another previous year in which he threw for 13 touchdowns and two interceptions before that.
Hooker has thrown for just 62 yards in his career with the Lions, so the sightings have been more than brief. At this point, the only people who know anything about his game have worked for Dan Campbell. Everyone else is in the dark. Of course, with Jared Goff still early into his breakout deal, the wait to see what he can do could be a long one. It’s up to Goff if he can keep Hooker a mystery through quality play.