It’s becoming pretty clear the Hendon Hooker experiment might not last much longer in Detroit. The Lions have done a solid job of showing confidence in him publicly, but actions speak louder—and Hooker’s grip on the No. 2 job is looking shaky. If they draft a quarterback later this month, he could be on the outside looking in.
Now, there’s at least a glimmer of trade hope. News broke that Saints QB Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that could impact his availability for the 2025 season. That’s led to speculation about who might step in, and while some names are more obvious (like Teddy Bridgewater), Hooker has been quietly floated as a potential option.
There’s history between Hooker and the Saints. During the 2023 pre-draft process, he met with the team and has kept in touch with former Tennessee teammates who are now in New Orleans. He even mentioned having dinner with Alontae Taylor recently and spoke positively about the Saints organization.
Financially, Hooker makes sense too. The Saints are once again deep in salary cap gymnastics, and Hooker’s small rookie deal—cap hits under $2 million the next two years—could be a big plus if they’re looking to get cheaper at quarterback.
Would the Lions take a mid-round pick for him? Absolutely. A fourth-rounder (No. 112 overall) would be ideal, but realistically, a conditional sixth or seventh might be more in line with Hooker’s current trade value. The guy’s thrown just nine passes in garbage time and got benched in favor of Bridgewater during the playoffs.
Still, if the Saints aren’t ready to roll the dice on a rookie like Shedeur Sanders with their top pick, Hooker could be a low-cost, low-risk alternative worth exploring. For the Lions, it might be the cleanest way to close the book on a project that just never got off the ground.
