Hendon Hooker, the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, may need to make a major choice.

Hooker was selected in the 2017 NFL Draft with the expectation that he would develop into the starting quarterback who would succeed Jared Goff, as The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy pointed out. Now that Goff has led the Lions to the NFC Championship game and secured a huge contract extension, that idea seems far off.

For Hooker, the former Tennessee quarterback who has not yet played for the Lions, Pouncy offered a another route.

Promising Quarterback Used by Lions as Trade Bait

Given that Hooker’s future as a starter is seriously in doubt—at least in Detroit—Poncy hinted that the Lions may try to trade the 26-year-old soon. “Maybe a trade later on would be the best way to maximize his value now that Goff is blocking him for the foreseeable future?

The Lions drafted him to be a high-upside backup with starting potential if needed.” As Pouncy wrote. “This conversation is fascinating. Most likely not for the 2024 campaign, but maybe later on in his rookie deal.

The idea that the Lions might trade Hooker is not exclusive to Pouncy. Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller suggested in an October 2023 article for The Athletic that the Lions start peddling Hooker to a team in need of a quarterback.

Mueller claimed in his letter that he had great expectations for Hooker after graduation, implying that other clubs may still feel the same way.

I saw a quarterback last year during my draft prep that, after a thorough assessment, I thought might be an NFL starter,” Mueller wrote. “Hendon Hooker, who played for the University of Tennessee, impressed me with his arm strength, athleticism, processing speed, and NFL accuracy.” He was one of my top five quarterback picks in the 2023 NFL Draft because of his timing and anticipation when throwing the ball.

The Lions gave quarterback Jared Goff a four-year, $212 million agreement that includes a $170 million guarantee, showing that they were confident in their quarterbacking future. Due in part to a strong passing attack, the former No. 1 overall pick helped lead a turnaround in Detroit, which saw the team advance to the NFC Championship game the previous season.

Hendon Hooker Still Needs to Show His Mettle

As a result of a ruptured ACL that ended his final season at Tennessee, Hooker missed most of the 2023 season and never had the opportunity to play to his full potential. Hooker filled in as the team’s backup quarterback for the last few games of both the regular season and the postseason after being able to rejoin the active roster late in the campaign.

As Pouncy said, Hooker will have a crucial opportunity to establish himself on the field during this offseason.

Pouncy stated, “These offseason drills are essential for Hooker’s development in the interim.” “They weren’t there when he was healing from an ACL tear a year ago. By the time he returned, in-season practice viewing limitations had been put in place, so reporters never got to see him take repetitions against the defense in practice.