Hendon Hooker’s days in Detroit may be coming to an end.
Hooker, the third-year quarterback who turned in a disappointing preseason, has lost the Lions’ backup quarterback competition to Kyle Allen. And when Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about potentially keeping Hooker as the third quarterback, Campbell suggested that Hooker may be better off elsewhere.
“How much development do you believe there is? We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?” Campbell said.
Campbell said Hooker is doing the right things to prepare, but it hasn’t translated to good play in the preseason.
“I wish Hooker — and I know he does — would have had a better outing, but you’ve 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. You take that all into account as well. I thought he was prepared, I thought he was ready, looked pretty calm, and circumstances didn’t work out today, that’s all.”
It’s hard to imagine Hooker being on the Lions’ 53-player roster after Tuesday’s cuts, but it’s possible that if he clears waivers he could land back on the practice squad. From Campbell’s comments, however, it seems more likely that the Lions will let Hooker find out on his own whether he could benefit from a change of scenery.
