Hendon Hooker will be making his way through his first season in the NFL largely in the shadows. The Lions rookie quarterback is likely looking at a redshirt year as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered while at Tennessee. What will be fascinating to see, however, is whether or not Hooker will be able to participate in any capacity during training camp later this month or if he’ll simply be tackling the mental aspect of Detroit’s playbook.
The third-round pick suffered the injury on Nov. 19 and wasn’t able to participate during Detroit’s OTAs. Head coach Dan Campbell was candid about Hooker’s status back in May where he acknowledged that this would be a redshirt year for him. That said, Hooker recently told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he’s “progressing really well” in his rehab.
“I’m really just taking it day by day and continuing to build my body back up to where I want it to be and even better,” he said.
Hooker should be looked at as more of a long-term investment by the organization than an immediate one. Instead of contributing right away, he’ll be afforded the time to ease into the NFL and learn behind veteran Jared Goff as the Lions look to push for an NFC North title in 2023.
The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder did impress at the collegiate level, which does give the Lions hope that they may have a successor to Goff, who has two more years remaining on his current contract. Last season, Hooker threw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions en route to an SEC Offensive Player of the Year award.
While he may not be able to fully contribute on the field to this point, it does appear like Hooker is meshing well within the organization.
“I love the Detroit staff,” Hooker said. “They’re very supportive. Always teaching and hungry to get better. There’s a competitive aspect from every coach that we have. It’s always a competition on the field. Offense, defense it’s always going to be some chatter going back and forth, and I love that. I want to be a part of something that’s going to continue to progress to get better, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to win ballgames.”
Hooker, along with the rest of the Lions rookies, are set to report to training camp on July 19.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
July 11, 2023 | 9:27 am
