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A year ago, Hendon Hooker was hobbling around the Indiana Convention Center at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Tennessee quarterback was less than three months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL, and his future as a draft prospect was somewhat uncertain.
The Detroit Lions wound up selecting Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft with the knowledge that he would not be ready to play right away. That proved true, with Hooker staying on the NFI list deep into the season and then not playing a single snap since he was activated.
On Tuesday, at the 2024 edition of the combine, Hooker’s name came up again. This time, it was Lions head coach Dan Campbell being asked about the mysterious quarterback and his progress.
“Man, I would say it’s hard because he was coming off the injury, didn’t get to play,” Campbell said of Hooker. “But he got a ton of — by the end of the year, call it three months of practice time, and he did a lot of the scout team, learned a lot from Teddy Bridgewater and Jared Goff, seven-on-sevens, a few team reps good-on-good.”
Entering 2024, the Lions are counting on Hooker to be the No. 2 QB behind Jared Goff. Bridgewater filled that role last year because Hooker wasn’t ready. Now, Campbell believes a healthy Hooker is ready.
“The best I can tell you is there’s growth. We saw growth,” Campbell said. “And that’s encouraging. That’s all we can ask at this point. I don’t think we entirely know what he is yet. There’s not enough evidence. But I know this: We saw progress. And that’s what we’re looking for.”
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The Detroit Lions wound up selecting Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft with the knowledge that he would not be ready to play right away. That proved true, with Hooker staying on the NFI list deep into the season and then not playing a single snap since he was activated.
On Tuesday, at the 2024 edition of the combine, Hooker’s name came up again. This time, it was Lions head coach Dan Campbell being asked about the mysterious quarterback and his progress.
“Man, I would say it’s hard because he was coming off the injury, didn’t get to play,” Campbell said of Hooker. “But he got a ton of — by the end of the year, call it three months of practice time, and he did a lot of the scout team, learned a lot from Teddy Bridgewater and Jared Goff, seven-on-sevens, a few team reps good-on-good.”
Entering 2024, the Lions are counting on Hooker to be the No. 2 QB behind Jared Goff. Bridgewater filled that role last year because Hooker wasn’t ready. Now, Campbell believes a healthy Hooker is ready.
“The best I can tell you is there’s growth. We saw growth,” Campbell said. “And that’s encouraging. That’s all we can ask at this point. I don’t think we entirely know what he is yet. There’s not enough evidence. But I know this: We saw progress. And that’s what we’re looking for.”
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