Detroit Lions Provide Update On Hendon Hooker

As NFL training camp began, the Detroit Lions placed former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List.

Former Tennessee quarterback and Detroit Lions draftee Hendon Hooker is now just over eight months removed from the torn ACL he suffered against South Carolina at the end of his college career. With NFL training camp starting up, all Vols and Lions fans want to know how he is progressing. 

Last week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Hooker was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List by the Detroit Lions. This is not a designation you hear about often, but the most important part is that he can be taken off of this list at any time. At first glance, this may not seem like the best news, but a much better report surfaced just a few days later. On Sunday, Brad Galli of WXYZ-Detroit reported that Hendon Hooker ran and threw after the Lions' first day of training camp on Sunday. Along with this report, he posted a video of Hooker throwing. The VFL is wearing a brace on his left knee, but he looks to be moving well and freely.

Detroit Lions QB Hendon Hooker during team minicamp in Allen Park, Michigan, on June 7, 2023. (Photo by Junfu Han of Detroit Free Press)

In the coming months, the Lions should be expected to take things slow with Hooker. There is no reason for them to put him in harm's way until they are sure his body is ready. It would be great for him to get reps in preseason, but his health is far more important. Beginning your career in the NFL is very difficult for a quarterback with much more to think about. If you have any hesitations about your body, you won't be able to succeed, as you need your full mind focused on the game and the new things you're learning. For these reasons, the Lions will not put Hooker out there until he is ready physically and mentally, but once that time comes, all Vol fans know he will thrive. 

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