Pros and Cons of Lions Signing QB P.J. Walker

Read more on whether the Lions should sign backup quarterback P.J. Walker.

The Lions will enter the 2023 season with two healthy quarterbacks: starter Jared Goff and backup Teddy Bridgewater.

Nate Sudfeld, last year's No. 2 quarterback in Motown, tore his ACL in the Lions' preseason finale with the Panthers, and subsequently will miss the entirety of the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Hendon Hooker, a third-round pick of Detroit (No. 68 overall) in this past April's NFL Draft, will start the season on the non-football injury (NFI) list, and undrafted free agent Adrian Martinez was waived Monday. 

It leaves Dan Campbell & Co. with room for a third quarterback on their 53-man roster, heading into Tuesday's 4 p.m. roster cutdown deadline. 

Now, the Lions could opt to carry just two signal-callers on their season-opening roster. However, they still will want to add a healthy passer to their practice squad to open up the season.

It could simply be the rookie Martinez, who spent all of training camp with Detroit and led the team on a game-winning drive in its preseason opener against the N.Y. Giants.

However, if the organization decides to opt for a more experienced passer, fourth-year pro P.J. Walker would be a decent fit.

Walker was cut on Sunday by the Bears, which had signed the 28-year-old in March to a two-year contract worth $4.15 million. 

The former Carolina signal-caller has failed to "light the world on fire" in limited playing time at the NFL level (seven starts and 15 total games). In fact, he's produced just five passing touchdowns, while tossing 11 interceptions.

Yet, it's also true that he's occasionally "flashed" when given the chance to suit up. For example, in a game against Detroit during the 2020 campaign, Walker completed over 70 percent of his passes, threw for 258 yards and led the Panthers to a 20-0 victory.

Additionally, he spent time in the XFL in '20. He was a member of the Houston Roughnecks, and put up some very impressive numbers while leading the XFL franchise to a 5-0 mark during the COVID-abbreviated season. 

In just five games, he threw for a league-high 15 touchdowns and 1,338 yards. He also completed 65 percent of his passes, and amassed a passer rating of 104.4. It was a dominant campaign for Walker, which led to him landing a contract with Carolina.

Fast-forward to today, a point in time in which Walker, even after being released by Chicago, is in position to land the job of a No. 3 QB for an NFL team.

If I were Brad Holmes & Co. in Detroit's front office, I wouldn't necessarily add him to the active roster. However, if Walker failed to find work with another NFL franchise prior to the start of the season, I'd gladly stash him on the practice squad.