There’s still room for Hendon Hooker on Saints depth chart at QB
Derek Carr. Jameis Winston. Jake Luton. Those are the quarterbacks under contract with the New Orleans Saints for 2023 after the Saints reached an agreement with Carr on a four-year free agent contract (which is really a two-year deal with a possible exit in 2025). You wouldn’t expect the Saints to add another quarterback to the room after bringing Carr into the fold, but don’t rule out Tennessee Volunteers passer Hendon Hooker, a fascinating prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
For one thing, Winston is likely going to be released with a post-June 1 designation, which will save the Saints more than $12 million once it tolls this summer. He’s too expensive as a backup and deserves the opportunity to explore his options and compete for a starting job in free agency. He’s on his way out.
That leaves Carr and Luton as the two quarterbacks, and Luton is a career practice squad filler. Carr should be expected to start all 17 games and play at a high level this season but you’d still like to have someone waiting in the wings if he misses time. Having a talented rookie to develop over the next few years, in case Carr does flame out by 2025, would make sense. Think of it like the Philadelphia Eagles drafting Jalen Hurts after signing Carson Wentz to a long-term deal.
And Hooker is a fun prospect. He has a live arm and understands the game at a high level. He’s also coming off of a season-ending knee injury in mid-November but expects to be ready to go by training camp in late July. That injury and his age (he turned 25 in January) have some teams down on him, but the Saints have met with him extensively at the Senior Bowl and again at the NFL Scouting Combine. They’re doing a lot of work on the player. Maybe all of that research turns them off of him, but right now there’s too much smoke to believe they aren’t genuinely interested.
If the Saints can come away with instant contributors at their picks in the first round (No. 29) and second round (No. 40), Hooker could make sense in the third round at No. 71 overall, if he’s still on the board. He’s still seen as someone who might be picked late in round two. If the value lines up and the Saints are confident he can play in this league and make their team better, he would be a nice candidate to back up Carr.
Having Carr and Hooker on the 53-man roster with Luton on the practice squad (as was the case last year) could make for a very solid tandem. In a perfect world Hooker wouldn’t be asked to play as a rookie, but his ample college experience and transferrable skills could give him a fighting chance if thrown into a game.
Of course they could more easily re-sign Andy Dalton to another backup contract rather than spend a valuable early-round draft pick on a player the Saints don’t expect to get on the field this season (or next). There’s an argument in favor of that approach instead, or in targeting a different free agent backup. But if worse comes to worst and the Saints eject Carr in 2025, they’ll have someone to turn to who already knows their playbook inside and out. That alone would be a better return than they’ve found in some recent draft picks.
