Whether you like it or not, the Detroit Lions are rolling with quarterback Jared Goff for the 2023 season, and possibly beyond that. That being said, GM Brad Holmes has made it clear that he is not opposed to drafting a quarterback and allowing him to sit and learn, similar to what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes, and the Green Bay Packers did with Aaron Rodgers. One QB Holmes could have his eye on is Hendon Hooker out of Tennessee. According to reports, Detroit had an extra meeting with Hooker on Tuesday in Mobile, Alabama at the Reese's Senior Bowl.
Detroit Lions spend additional time with Hendon Hooker
According to Jeff Risdon, despite not being able to practice or play because he is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered late in the 2022 season, Hooker is in Mobile, where he will meet with each of the 32 NFL teams in attendance. Risdon noted that Hooker “had an extra meeting with the Lions following Tuesday's practice.
“Right after the late-afternoon practice ended, Hooker made a beeline directly to Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew on the field. The two shared a warm embrace, clearly having spent some time together before. They conversed for several minutes, with a couple of Lion staffers — including longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach — also joining in the conversation with Hooker.”
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Prior to tearing his ACL, Hooker was widely regarded as a quarterback who would be selected in the second or third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It is certainly going to be interesting to see how far he falls because of his injury.
Is it possible that the Lions look at Hooker as an eventual replacement for Goff? Personally, I don't really see Hooker as a fit, as he is already 25 years old, which means that if he took over for Goff following the 2024 season, he would be over 27.5 years old. Ironically, Goff just turned 28 in October.
