Detroit Lions News & Rumors

AUGUST 28: Hooker will indeed begin the 2023 season on the NFI list, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. That will force the first-year passer to miss the first four games of the season, though as noted below, that was likely to happen regardless of his roster status. In light of Sudfeld’s ACL tear, it is fair to wonder if Detroit will scour the market for another signal-caller, or if the team will keep rookie UDFA Adrian Martinez as its QB3.

AUGUST 21: The Lions added Jared Goff insurance earlier this month with the signing of Teddy Bridgewater, but questions still surround their quarterback depth chart. How Detroit proceeds at the position will depend in large part on the recovery made by third-round rookie Hendon Hooker.

The latter is currently on the non-football injury list as he continues to recover from the ACL tear which ended his college career. That was the expected move to open training camp, but an important decision will need to be made as roster cutdowns loom. Teams will be required to trim their 90-man squads to 53 by August 29, though players with an NFI designation do not count toward the total.

Players who begin the season on the NFI list are required to miss at least the first four games of the season, something which will likely happen in any event in Hooker’s case. The Tennessee product has said, on the other hand, that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab. That process has involved individual drills conducted after training camp practices, giving the team opportunities to track his progress. Depending on how much further along his recovery is by next week, Detroit could elect to not only start the season with Hooker on the NFI list, but keep him there throughout his rookie campaign.

In that event, the team would have the option of tolling the first season of his four-year rookie contract. With 2023 slated to essentially be a redshirt year for the 25-year-old, such action would likely come as little surprise. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports, however, that the Lions are not considering tolling Hooker’s first year, instead planning on placing him on the active roster at the first opportunity.

Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed that no firm decision has been made as of yet with respect to Hooker’s short-term future. The Lions have Goff, Bridgewater and Nate Sudfeld in place as healthy signal-callers at the moment, but Hooker will receive plenty of attention if and when he does get an opportunity to play given his success with the Volunteers and draft stock prior to the ACL injury.

“Once we start hearing… like, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming on,’ we get the, ‘OK, you guys may have a decision to make sooner than later,” Campbell said when asked about Hooker’s status. “But we’re not even going to worry about it right now.”