Tennessee's Hendon Hooker Shows Out During Final Preseason Game with Lions

Former Tennessee Volunteers' quarterback Hendon Hooker showed out for the Detroit Lions during their final NFL preseason game.

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) makes a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half of a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Tennessee Volunteers' quarterback Hendon Hooker showed out for the Detroit Lions during their final NFL preseason game.

It's the weekend of final impressions in the NFL as preseason games are wrapping up over the weekend before the regular season starts up. The Detroit Lions faced off against the PIttsburgh Steelers on Saturday and it was former Tennessee Volunteers' quarterback Hendon Hooker time to shine. He was given the majority of the snaps during the game, and he made to sure to make them count.

The Lions already have their starter set as Jared Goff will once again be leading the offense this season, but Hooker has been fighting for the number two spot on the depth chart. During yesterday's game, he went 12/20 for 114 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Not the prettiest stat line but the difference was how Hooker added into the run game. Hooker had 93 yards on 10 rushes, including one rush that went for 19 yards. A true do-it-all performance from the former Volunteer.

Hooker's NFL career started off a little slow due to his recovering from a knee injury he suffered late in the season during his final year at Tennessee. This offseason, however, he has been fully healthy and has gotten his chances to move up the depth chart. Based on last night, it would appear that the Lions have decided to name Nate Sudfeld the number two quarterback as he did not play, but Hooker displayed every reason he could as to why he should be the guy right behind Goff.

It might be some time before Hooker gets a legitimate shot to earn a starting role in the NFL, at least not this season, but if he continues to impress the way he did this preseason, that moment will come sooner rather than later.

Other Tennessee News:

• Kirk Herbstreit Says Tennessee Volunteers Have Best Entrance in College Football
• Tennessee Volunteers' Tony Vitello Becomes Highest Paid Coach in College Baseball
• WATCH: Tennessee Commit David Sanders Shows Off Insane Athleticism

Join the Community:

• Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell
  
• Follow Blake Schowalter on Twitter: @BlakeSchowalte1
  

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.