Hendon Hooker: 'I'm Ready to Compete'

Detroit Lions Hendon Hooker is ready to compete at the quarterback position.

New Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker is already comfortable around his new teammates and has showcased what made him the right fit to be selected in the third-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

While rehabbing his ACL injury, the talented quarterback is still learning Detroit's playbook and becoming acclimated to Ben Johnson's offense. 

When asked at rookie minicamp about the coaching staff potentially viewing his rookie season as a "redshirt" year, Hooker demonstrated his competitiveness and desire to earn his opportunity to play. 

"Let's get better every day. You'll never stay the same. You either get better, you get worse. And I don't want to have any decline in my game," Hooker said. "So, continuing to work my tail off, day-to-day mental reps, taking reps behind the quarterbacks that are in and just playing the game in my mind until I can actually get out there. But, I'm still preparing and I'm hungry. I'm ready to compete."

Many NFL pundits and critics have wondered if it was in Detroit's best interest to select an older quarterback, a topic the 25-year-old signal-caller was asked about at rookie minicamp. 

"Going back to my age, I've seen a lot of football," said Hooker, when explaining what goes into deep ball accuracy. "I've seen a lot of plays develop. I've seen a lot of different situations. I know how to manipulate the ball to where my guy is getting the ball and continue to keep him in his in his stride and and knowing where to place it so that he can do that. But really, it's just me just driving off my back hip and airing it out."