Former third-round pick Hendon Hooker is headed for waivers after two seasons with the Detroit Lions, Fox Sports reported Monday.
The 2023 draft pick was competing in preseason for the backup quarterback spot with Kyle Allen, who has 19 career starts with five previous NFL teams since entering the league in 2018.
Hooker led the Lions with 138 rushing yards in the preseason. He was sacked six times, completing 29 of 44 attempts for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Hooker, 27, spent part of his rookie season in 2023 recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his college career at Tennessee. He played in three games in 2024, completing 6 of 9 passes.
He could still be traded if the Lions are approached by an interested team before making the waiver transaction official. Teams face a deadline of 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to reduce their roster to 53 players after being allowed a maximum of 90 in the offseason and training camp.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Saturday the decision on Hooker would come down to whether the franchise felt he was still developing.
“Because look, we are talking about Hooker right now,” Campbell said. “How much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes does the player need a change of scenery? What about our own depth in other areas? I mentioned this the other day, relative to that — all right, maybe there is room to grow. Is that worth it for the depth we need at O-line, D-line, receiver, DB? And so those are all things you have to weigh.”
Starting quarterback Jared Goff passed for 4,629 yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 games in 2024.
