As of this writing, the Detroit Lions' preseason Week 3 game against the Houston Texans is still going on, but we can confidently say that Kyle Allen has secured Detroit's backup quarterback job over Hendon Hooker.
Allen, who was the clear front-runner going into preseason Week 3, started on Saturday and completed all five of his passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Allen's best throw of the afternoon came on a beautiful deep ball down the sideline to rookie wideout Isaac TeSlaa, who reeled it in for the score.
The Lions pulled Allen early to give Hooker more reps, but the 2023 third-round pick didn't do much with them. Hooker threw yet another pick in the fourth quarter, his third in four preseason games, and once again looked like the interior player.
Here's a look at Hooker's pick, which was well overthrown and landed right in the waiting arms of a Texans defender.
.@greengoblin gets us the ball back 😤 pic.twitter.com/DCT0H6Pwc3
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 23, 2025
Not only has Hooker lost the QB2 job, there is really no justification for keeping him on the 53-man roster.
The Tennessee product hasn't shown any progress this offseason and the Lions would be better suited using that roster spot on depth at another position.
The Lions will probably look to keep Hooker on the practice squad, but he'll have to clear waivers first, which isn't a guarantee. Then, we'll have to see if Hooker even wants to stay in Detroit or if he'll be looking for a change of scenery.
The Lions will trim their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. ET. Waivers will be processed the following day at noon ET.
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