Dan Campbell: We're unsure what Hendon Hooker is yet, but he showed growth
Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff enters the final year of his contract, leaving the team to think about its future at the position. They did that last year, drafting Hendon Hooker in the third round.
Hooker was coming off an ACL tear in 2022 during his final college season at Tennessee.
He participated in his first NFL practice on Nov. 29, which came 375 days after his knee injury, and Hooker served as the emergency third quarterback for the final three games of the regular season and the postseason.
With Teddy Bridgewater retiring, Hooker could serve as the No. 2 quarterback this season. He recently said he was ready for his opportunity to move up the ladder.
Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted Tuesday at the Scouting Combine that the team hasn't seen enough from Hooker to know what they have in him.
"I would say it's hard because he was coming off the injury," Campbell said. "He didn't get to play, but he got a ton of — by the end of the year call it — probably three months of practice time and did a lot of scout time. He learned from Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff — seven-and-seven, a few team reps, good-on-good. The best I can tell you is there was growth. We saw growth, and that's encouraging. That's all we can ask at this point. I don't think we entirely know what he is yet. There's not enough evidence, but I know this: We saw progress, and that's what we're looking for."
