Lions Deal Bad News to Former 3rd Round QB as Training Camp Opens

 
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Woodward Sports Network's Sean Balligan argued the Detroit Lions have already decided to cut quarterback Hendon Hooker while other Lions media personalities have labeled the quarterback a potential cut candidate.
The Detroit Lions aimed to bring in some competition for backup quarterback Hendon Hooker this offseason, signing veteran Kyle Allen to push their former third-round pick in his development.

With the start of training camp, it appears that Hooker has been pushed all the way down to the No. 3 spot.

Reporters noted that Allen started training camp ahead of Hooker on the depth chart, a potentially dire sign for the young signal-caller once seen as a successor to Jared Goff. The new depth chart could mean Hooker faces a difficult path to even making a roster spot at the end of the summer.

 
Lions Boost Kyle Allen to Start Training Camp
As John Maakaron of SI.com reported, the Lions may be sending something of a warning shot to Hooker as he enters his third NFL season.

“To start training camp, the Lions had Kyle Allen working with the backups and 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker getting reps with the third-team offense,” Maakaron wrote.
“Traditionally, the Lions have rotated their options amongst the backup and third units over the course of camp, but Hooker being with the latter could be telling. He did have an early completion to undrafted tight end Zach Horton during his reps.”

Hooker didn’t do himself many favors on the field, Maakaron added, missing low on one pass and having another deflected at the line of scrimmage in the first action at training camp.

 
Kyle Allen Could Have Inside Track to Backup Job
The Lions could be in position to hand the backup job to Allen, who has more NFL experience than Hooker. Allen started 12 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2019 and has a total of 19 NFL starts. He has completed 62.7% of his passes for 4,753 yards with 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

SI.com’s Emmett Matasovsky also suggested earlier in the offseason that the Lions could keep both Allen and Hooker.

“Kyle Allen is a seven-year NFL veteran, and he was signed with the Lions in March to provide competition with 2023 3rd round selection Hendon Hooker. Allen is only two years older than Hooker, and has 31 games (with 12 starts) of experience at the NFL level,” Matasovsky noted.

The Lions have praised Hooker for his development but held back from putting their full faith in the former Tennessee quarterback. He came along slowly in his rookie season after recovering from a torn ACL that cut short his college career, then struggled to secure the No. 2 spot in the 2024 season.

The Lions ended up bringing veteran Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement for the final stretch of the season and the playoffs. When Goff went down briefly in the team’s divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders, it was Bridgewater who was sent in to lead the offense.

While the Lions could choose to roster three quarterbacks, others believe that Hooker’s time in Detroit could be coming to an end if he is unable to beat out Allen. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder predicted last year that the Lions could look to recoup some of their draft investment by trading Hooker.

“The Detroit Lions gave Jared Goff a contract extension this offseason, which pretty much ensures Hooker will be a backup throughout his rookie deal,” Holder wrote. “Trading last year’s third-round pick to a QB-needy team sooner rather than later would allow the front office to maximize its return for him.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty