The way the Lions see it, it's pretty simple: Hendon Hooker has a job to win behind Jared Goff. They spelled that out twice in the last few months, first by bringing Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement last season to back up Goff in the playoffs, then by signing journeyman backup Kyle Allen this offseason.
And the man who drafted Hooker in the third round said as much this week at the owners meetings. GM Brad Holmes explained that the Lions brought in Allen for "competition" at quarterback, then pointed out that Hooker has taken time to develop at each stop of his career, from Virginia Tech to Tennessee to, ideally, Detroit.
Last year, said Holmes, was Hooker's "first year he was able to do a full year" in the NFL after spending most of his rookie season rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered at Tennessee.
"And then we brought Teddy in just because we’re gearing up for the playoffs and the postseason, and (Hooker) just wasn’t ready yet. And he understood that," said Holmes. "But still got high hopes for him. But nobody is going to be given a job, either. So, if Hendon wants to be the No. 2 quarterback, then win the No. 2 quarterback job."
Holmes reiterated that the Lions remain excited about Hooker, drafted 68th overall in 2023 after two incredible seasons at Tennessee in which he threw 58 touchdowns to five interceptions and added 10 more touchdowns on the ground. Hooker led the SEC in completion percentage and led the country in yards per attempt as a senior.
He showed flashes of this ability in three preseason games last year, but not consistently enough in practice and in his limited game reps in the regular season for the Lions to believe that he's capable of running their offense -- and winning games -- in the event of an injury to Goff. Allen brings much more NFL experience to the table, with 31 games and 19 starts under his belt.
Campbell echoed Holmes on Tuesday and said that "Hooker, no different than Allen, is competing."
"The best way to help guys really reach their full potential is competition. You can say things, you can try the best you can to prop them up, but at some point, man, you just gotta go compete and it’s him or you. And I anticipate that Hooker’s going to compete, that’s what he does," Campbell said. "And I would see him taking another step up."