The Detroit Lions have an interesting situation in their quarterbacks room.
While Jared Goff is entrenched as the team's starter, the backup job is up for grabs between Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen, the latter of whom was signed in free agency this offseason.
Hooker's career trajectory took a hit in 2024 after the Lions signed Teddy Bridgewater late in the year, which didn't show much confidence in the 2023 third-round pick to be Goff's backup in the playoffs.
Despite that move, Christian Booher of On SI believes the Lions will opt to keep Hooker over Allen on the initial 53-man roster.
"The Lions will have plenty of opportunities to evaluate Hooker's development in game situations," Booher explained. "In addition to the extra preseason game, the Lions will also have at least one joint practice with opponents.
"As a result, a more clear picture of the player that Hooker is should be formulated. He had good spurts last year in the preseason, and the Lions are still betting on his upside. Allen may provide a stiff test, but Hooker should do well enough to remain the Lions' backup," Booher concluded.
While Hooker did show some flashes in the preseason last year, he remains mostly a mystery thanks to the lack of playing time he's had in actual NFL games. Hooker did not play at all in 2023 as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in college, and he attempted nine garbage-time passes in 2024.
But that lack of playing time is actually good news overall for the Lions, as it means Goff has been able to stay healthy.
Entering Year 3, Hooker has got to show he's made advancements in his game during the preseason or else he could very well lose out to Allen, who offers far more experience, which is important for a Super Bowl contender like Detroit.
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