Detroit Lions reportedly waiving quarterback Hendon Hooker

Hendon Hooker is set to be waiving by the Detroit Lions, according to reports, with the club opting to keep Kyle Allen as its backup quarterback behind Jared Goff. Head coach Dan Campbell said recently that the former Tennessee Football quarterback and third-round pick in the NFL Draft could benefit from “a change of scenery.”

“Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?” Campbell said, according to Pro Football Talk when asked if Detroit would keep Hooker as a third quarterback on roster.

In a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans in the preseason finale on Saturday, Hooker completed 6 of 11 passes for 70 yards and an interception and ran once for 25 yards. Allen went 5-for-5 for 66 yards and a touchdown.

“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 (offensive) 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.”

In a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans in the preseason finale on Saturday, Hooker completed 6 of 11 passes for 70 yards and an interception and ran once for 25 yards. Allen went 5-for-5 for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Hooker was 6-for-13 for 61 yards and an interception against the Dolphins, 7-for-10 for 38 yards against the Falcons and 3-for-6 for 18 yards and an interception in the Hall of Fame Game against the Chargers.

Hendon Hooker 2024 preseason: 29-44, 300 passing yards, 138 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Hooker is entering his third year in the NFL but just his second on the field, after missing the 2023 season while coming back from the torn ACL that ended his Tennessee career in November 2022. 

The Lions in May 2024 signed Goff to a four-year, $212 million contract that runs through the 2028 season. The Lions signed Allen as an unrestricted free agent in March after he spent last season in Pittsburgh.

Hooker was on a four-year, $5.7 million rookie contract that runs through the 2026 season. 

According to Spotrac, Hooker’s career earnings to date are $2.66 million. He carries a cap hit of $1.55 million this season and is set to make $1.81 million in 2026, before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027 at the age of 29.

The Lions took Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting at No. 68 overall. He was the fifth quarterback taken in the draft. 

“Hooker knows the deal, man,” Campbell said earlier during training camp. “You’re out here to compete, you know?”

‘He knows it’s time to take the next step. So it’s his move’

Hooker appeared in three games of the Lions last season, completing 6 of 9 passes for 62 yards. He had a long of 21 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt.

Allen has appeared in 31 games over his seven seasons — spent with five different teams — and has thrown for 4,753 yards, 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He started 12 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2019 and four in 2020 with Washington. 

In the 2024 preseason, Hooker completed 29 of 44 passes (65.9%) for 300 yards, to go with 138 rushing yards. He had two total touchdowns and one interception.

“He knows what it is,” Campbell said of Hooker. “He knows it’s time to take the next step. So it’s his move. I think he’s wired right and it means something to him. So here we go, man, it’s an open camp.”