With the Detroit Lions skipping mandatory minicamp this year due to their early start in the Hall of Fame Game, OTAs were the last real chance for players to show out before training camp. Some players made the most of it. Others? Not so much — and unfortunately, Hendon Hooker lands in that second group.
Hooker, the former third-round pick out of Tennessee, came into the offseason already on shaky ground. The Lions didn’t wait long to sign veteran QB Kyle Allen in free agency, a clear sign they weren’t fully sold on Hooker being Jared Goff’s backup. That move also sparked trade rumors around the 27-year-old signal-caller, meaning these OTAs were critical for him to either win the QB2 job or boost his value on the trade market.
Instead, Hooker’s stock might have dropped even further.
Reports say he struggled with accuracy, decision-making, and timing — a rough combo for any quarterback. According to A to Z Sports’ Mike Payton, Hooker either held the ball too long, got rid of it too early, or just flat-out missed his targets. Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman added that Hooker had at least three overthrows in one session alone. That’s especially disappointing considering Kyle Allen hasn’t exactly been lighting it up either — this was Hooker’s chance to take control.
Now, with no minicamp left to rebound, Hooker’s running out of chances. The Lions can’t feel great about him as the backup right now, and any team thinking about trading for him might be second-guessing. Training camp is going to be huge — not just for his future in Detroit, but possibly for his NFL career altogether.
We’ll be watching closely to see how Hooker responds when the pads come on. But right now, the road ahead just got a lot steeper.
Hooker’s OTA Struggles Raise Red Flags Ahead of Training Camp
