Lions' Nate Sudfeld Wants to See Hendon Hooker 'Be Great'

No animosity in Detroit's battle for backup spot.

Detroit Lions quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld, Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker. / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the most intriguing training camp battles to follow has been the competition between Hendon Hooker and Nate Sudfeld to be the Detroit Lions' backup quarterback.

Both players have rotated between the second-and-third-team offenses throughout the spring and into the fall. Because the battle has been so closely contested, it's hard to identify who has been leading the way to this point.

As it stands, Sudfeld has the upper hand based on experience and consistency, while Hooker has shown flashes of his high ceiling. However, both players have not allowed the competition to generate animosity between them.

If anything, Sudfeld, the veteran of the two, views his chance to compete with Hooker as an additional opportunity to mentor the Tennessee product.

"The league is competition. Everything is competition," Sudfeld said. "Coaches are competing, players are competing, I don't think it gets in between our personal relationship at all. I want him to be great. I think Hendon has a ton of talent."

Development has been a key theme for Hooker, who missed all of last year's training camp while rehabbing a knee injury suffered in college. He also suffered a dislocated ring finger on his throwing hand during OTAs, which led to frustrations and struggles.

“Honestly, just continue to learn," Hooker said. "Don’t hang your head on a bad play or a bad day, it’s a learning experience, it’s part of the game. They’re gonna happen. But, continue to just track and be better the next day, the next rep. Have a quick memory, erase that bad play, erase that good play. Whatever, just play the next play.” 

Sudfeld also dealt with a knee injury last year, which he suffered in the preseason finale, and as a result, missed the entire season. Nearly a year removed from the injury, he was cleared in the spring, and feels confident in both his body to stay healthy and his abilities to compete for the backup job.

"I definitely feel really good out there, feel like I'm seeing it well," Sudfeld said. "Obviously, ninth year in the league, so I've seen a lot of the looks. It's adding up, but definitely seen a lot of the looks. But, a lot of it, you just want to get your feet back under you. You want to feel the rep, I've watched the film a million times.

"This year, I feel like, I've always been grateful to play the game, always loved it. But, there's just something special when you have the game taken away from you from an injury. Some people, it derails a career, it derails opportunities. To have an opportunity to come back to prove that I can keep going and just prove that this knee is completely healthy, I just come in every day with a ton of gratitude."

A big resource for Hooker throughout the offseason has been retired Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The two spent plenty of time together during the time between OTAs and training camp, with Hooker developing a routine as a result.

While in Florida, Hooker would wake up early and travel to Miami Northwestern, where Bridgewater is the head coach. After morning throwing, the passer would work out in the afternoon and throw again in the evening.

More than that, Hooker explained that Bridgewater has taught him a number of things about how to be a professional off the field, as well as on it.

“In every way. Taught me how to really be a pro, in the sense of having a routine. In the sense of how you’re supposed to take care of your body," Hooker said. "Him dealing with a knee injury as well, he gave me some tips on how to just stay fresh. When we travel on the plane, like pressure sleeve on the plane, I never would’ve thought about that. It’s something I can’t fly without now. That and then just understanding how to digest the playbook, that’s a huge thing that he’s taught me and it’s translated.”