Detroit Lions reportedly cut backup QB Hendon Hooker after disappointing preseason
Dan Campbell all but said it was coming, and on Monday the Detroit Lions made it official.
The Lions waived quarterback Hendon Hooker ahead of Tuesday's roster cut to 53 players, Fox Sports has reported.
A third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2023, Hooker played as the No. 3 quarterback behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen this preseason, and while he showed growth in practice those improvements never really translated to games.
Hooker completed 22 of 40 passes (55%) for 187 yards this preseason. He threw three interceptions, lost two fumbles, didn't have a touchdown pass and led the Lions on one scoring drive in 20 offensive possessions.
Asked after last week's preseason loss to the Houston Texans to weigh the pros and cons of keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, Campbell referenced Hooker potentially needing a change of scenery.
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"It’s always going to be (about) how much development do you believe there is," he said. "Because look, we’re talking about Hooker right now. So 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. OK, well, is that worth it for the depth we need at O-Line, D-Line, receiver, DB? And so those are all things you got to weigh."
Hooker was a Heisman Trophy frontrunner late in the 2022 season at Tennessee when he tore his ACL.
He missed most of his rookie season with the Lions while rehabbing from the injury and served as the team's No. 2 quarterback for most of last year, completing 6 of 9 passes in three games, before the Lions signed Teddy Bridgewater to be Goff's backup for the playoffs.
This spring, they signed Allen to push Hooker for the backup job,.
Allen was 35 of 44 passing in the preseason for 401 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. He closed exhibition play with a perfect 5-for-5 day against the Texans.
Hooker was 6 of 11 for 70 yards with one interception.
"Look, I wish Hooker – and I know he does – would’ve had a little bit better outing, but it’s also, you got to take it with a grain of salt," Campbell said. "It’s not like he was playing with our first O-Line out there, or first-team skill position, all of that. So you take that all into account as well. I thought he was prepared. I thought he was ready and looked pretty calm, and just circumstances didn’t work out today, that’s all.”
On Monday, Campbell referenced players who "look really good (in practice) but all four of these games have not been good," in another seeming reference to Hooker.
"That’s an issue," Campbell said. "I think that’s an issue, because all of a sudden, the lights are on and we’re in real games and the coach isn’t behind."
The Lions have typically kept two quarterbacks at the roster deadline and carried a third quarterback on their practice squad early in the season. It's unclear if they plan to re-sign Hooker to the practice squad or look elsewhere to fill that role.
Teams have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to set their initial 53-man rosters.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hendon Hooker cut: Detroit Lions part ways with backup QB
