It’d be nice Friday if we finally get a genuine clue whether Hendon Hooker is capable of being the Lions’ primary backup quarterback.
Nobody is expecting Hooker to be surrounded by the Lions’ starting offensive cast in Atlanta, but hopefully there will be a reasonable amount of talent supporting him. That wasn’t the case in the Hall of Fame game when the Lions, inexplicably, inexcusably and puzzlingly, played Hooker only in garbage time against the Chargers.
Kyle Allen, the veteran clipboard-holder the Lions acquired, is inadequate as the No. 2 QB. He has a subpar TD-to-turnover ratio (21/16), a pedestrian yards per attempt number (6.7) and an underwhelming 7-12 record as starter with five teams in seven seasons.
When the Lions drafted Hooker in the third round in 2023, they knew he’d be limited his rookie season because of ACL surgery. They also knew that at Tennessee he played in a classic college Air Raid offense, which is based on simple vertical route trees. It’s the polar opposite of Detroit's multiple-faceted scheme.
Hooker played six years of college football after gaining an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. He will turn 28 in January. This is the third season of his four-year contract. It’s time for the Lions to find out if he can capably backup Jared Goff. And please, let’s not get into whining about the limitations of preseason games.
This preseason should be a football version of the Bar exam to measure Hooker’s progress. That’s why he should have started the Hall of Fame game, and should start and play at least a half in the remaining preseason games.
Frankly, Goff doesn’t have to play at all. His important work will come from the joint practices with the Dolphins and Texans in Allen Park, and scrimmages against the Lions' first-team defense.
If Hooker doesn’t pass his test, the Lions need to trade for a better backup than Allen.
It's understood that if Goff is out for a long stretch, his replacement will not provide the same level of performance. However, if it’s a short period, the Lions need a solid backup QB to keep the season moving.
The classic examples came last season when backups Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett won key games for the Packers and Eagles.
Hooker wasn’t a seventh-round selection, but a third-rounder. The reasonable expectation was that he’d be ready for the backup role by now.
Now is the time to find out.