Debating whether the Detroit Lions should keep Hendon Hooker as QB3

The conversation at quarterback has shifted dramatically for the Detroit Lions in the past month.

When the Lions signed Kyle Allen in free agency, many—including myself—didn’t view him as particularly serious competition for third-year quarterback Hendon Hooker to win the backup job behind Jared Goff. However, Allen has unquestionably been the better player in both training camp and especially the preseason. It’s gotten to the point where coach Dan Campbell has openly declared Allen is the leader in the backup race. With only one week of training camp left, it’s hard to imagine that changing.

So now the question is no longer “who is the backup quarterback?” The question is: “What should the Lions do with Hendon Hooker?”

His struggles in the preseason are well-documented. Through three games, he has completed 16-of-29 passes for just 117 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles. That’s an average of just 4.0 yards per pass attempt and a passer rating of 36.1. On the surface, that’s certainly not good enough to warrant a spot on the 53-man roster of a very talented team.

However, if the Lions truly believe that Hooker still has a developmental ceiling he hasn’t hit yet, there is certainly a case to be made to keep him around. Given the simplicity of his offense at Tennessee, the mental aspect of his game was always going to be the last thing to come. Some quarterbacks certainly take some extra time for it all to click. Just look at the jumps in the careers of guys like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and even Jared Goff, to some extent.

Hooker comes with almost zero financial burden ($1.56 million cap hit in 2025) and that will be the same in 2026 ($1.8M). And keeping him gives the Lions an emergency QB3 option who is familiar with Detroit’s complicated offense. Cutting him means almost certainly losing him to a waiver wire claim, and starting over at QB3 with someone likely unfamiliar with the Lions’ offensive scheme. Not exactly an ideal way to start the season at the position.

All that being said, it still feels hard to justify a spot for Hooker given his level of play. If the Lions’ biggest problem is that they have to find a new emergency third-string quarterback, that’s not exactly a bad place to be.

On the latest episode of the PODcast, the gang debates the merits of keeping Hooker around as QB3. We also break down the Lions vs. Dolphins preseason game, pick out the best performers, and update the training camp battles going on at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and the secondary. Additionally, we discuss the potential fallout of Ahmed Hassanein’s injury, if it ends up being serious.

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