Hendon Hooker Wins Detroit Backup QB Job

Former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker has officially won the backup quarterback job for the Detroit Lions.

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) waves at fans as he walks off the field after 24-17 win over Pittsburgh Steelers at a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker has officially won the backup quarterback job for the Detroit Lions.

Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker had a triumphant preseason for the Detroit Lions. In his first professional run, the talented gunslinger made enough plays for the organization to award him the backup quarterback job, which was announced on Tuesday.

The Lions selected Hooker with the No. 68 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft amid an offseason of uncertainty around quarterback Jared Goff's future with the team. After being traded from the Los Angeles Rams before the 2021 season, Goff struggled mightily in his first year with the Lions. He performed well in his second season with Detroit, but the team fell short of a playoff berth, prompting them to draft Hooker. However, Goff continued improving in his third year with the squad, throwing for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns en route to an NFC Championship Game appearance.

Hooker spent his rookie season rehabbing from an ACL injury he suffered against South Carolina during the tail end of his final season at the University of Tennessee. He helped breathe life back into the football town of Knoxville, Tennessee, posting a sparkling 6,080 passing yards to go along with 58 touchdowns against just five interceptions in his two seasons as a starter with the Vols.

While Goff is the unquestioned starter in the Motor City after signing a four-year, $212 million extension this offseason, Hooker still has plenty of opportunity in front of him in the league. Much of that will be based on his performances in settings like the preseason, where he gets to command the offense for several quarters as "the guy."

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