Open thread: How will Hendon Hooker’s Lions career play out?

Detroit kept its options open by taking a mid-round quarterback.

By selecting Hendon Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions both reaffirmed their trust in Jared Goff but also invited questions about the future. By not selecting a franchise cornerstone at the top of the first round, the Lions made it clear that they are comfortable with Goff running it back at least this season.

However, the selection of Hooker does give Detroit a potential replacement for whenever Goff’s time is up. That should hopefully not be for a year or two, but there is a very real possibility he takes over the starter role before his rookie contract expires. At the same time, there is a significant chance he never takes over as QB1 at all. The possibilities!

Today’s Question of the Day is:

How will Hendon Hooker’s Lions career play out?

My answer: There are compelling arguments for just about any outcome for Hooker, but the big thing for me is age. The rookie is really not that much younger than Goff, so if the incumbent keeps performing, it makes sense to keep trusting him. Because of that, I feel like Hooker will only ever be a backup here.

Should he become a starter, outside from an injury replacement, I think the most likely situation is the Lions keep him only until the actual Quarterback of the Future arrives. At that point, Hooker will likely be closer to 30 than 20, so why not just draft a blue-chip talent then? He looks to be a capable backup and could probably be a temporary starter, but expecting him to be a full-time QB1 seems questionable.

Your turn.