The Lions have placed injured rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list ahead of training camp.
Hooker, a third-round pick out of Tennessee, is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered against South Carolina on Nov. 19. Being placed on the NFI list means Hooker can be activated at any point during training camp, but if he’s still on the NFI list by the start of the season, he won’t be eligible to play or practice through the first six weeks of the season.
Anybody hoping this news indicates Hooker has turned a corner in his recovery, however, probably shouldn’t get their hopes up too soon. The Lions did the same thing with last year with Jameson Williams, who also suffered a torn ACL on the final play of his college career on Jan. 10 and didn’t appear in a game until Week 13. The primary difference between the two is that Hooker’s injury occurred in November, as opposed to January, so his recovery had a slight head start.
Rookies reported to camp Wednesday.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have been clear about their lack of desire to rush Hooker back before he’s ready. Detroit retained backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld and appears happy with that situation, so it wouldn’t be surprising if 2023 did turn out to be a true “redshirt” year.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi