Lions Adding 32-Game Quarterback to Round Out Depth Chart
Posted September 4, 2025
The Detroit Lions wanted an experienced quarterback for the third and final spot on the depth chart, and appear to have found one in a veteran with 32 NFL appearances on his resume.
The Lions have an empty spot on the depth chart after parting ways with former third-round pick Hendon Hooker, who lost the competition for the No. 2 spot to veteran Kyle Allen. The Lions decided to cut ties with Hooker entirely rather than bring him back to the practice squad, leaving space for one more quarterback.
The team brought in two potential candidates this week, including one that fits head coach Dan Campbell’s criteria and is expected to land the job.
Lions Working Out Veteran Quarterback
The Lions invited veterans C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman for workouts on Wednesday, with NFL Network reporter Mike Garofolo sharing that the team made a choice.
“The #Lions are expected to sign QB C.J. Beathard to the practice squad after today’s workout, sources say. He’ll be their third QB behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen,” Garofolo shared in a post on X.
Before Beathard was signed, Campbell indicated that the team wasn’t looking for a developmental project for their third quarterback and instead wanted someone they could trust to play if the two ahead suffered injuries.
“I would say that we’re looking for somebody that, if we need them, we know they can run the show,” Campbell said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “They can run the offense, they can process the information more than — can we find a guy to develop, you know, that’s unknown.”
Campbell added that the team was looking for someone they were familiar with, though there were few options left on the open market who had connections to the team. Beathard has appeared in 32 games with 13 career starts. He completed 60.4% of his passes for 3,886 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Hendon Hooker Off to a Fresh Start
Campbell said when releasing Hooker that they wanted the former Tennessee quarterback to have the chance for a fresh start, and he quickly found one with the Carolina Panthers. Hooker signed to the practice squad, playing behind fellow 2022 Manning Passing Academy student Bryce Young.
“Me and Bryce have been cool, before the draft process, going back to like the Manning Camp,” Hooker said, via the team’s official website. “We would have long conversations about play calls, about changing protections, about what we’re seeing, ID the defense, and really just playing at a high level.”
Hooker said the two connected again before the NFL combine, where they spent close to two hours together in the airport on the way to Indianapolis. The pair formed a bond that will now renew in Carolina, where Hooker has the chance to develop on the practice squad.
“I remember traveling to the combine, me and Bryce, I think we might have talked for maybe two hours on just pass protection in the airport,” Hooker added. “But we’ve had a pretty good bond for a pretty long time.”
Charlie Lindgren and Declan Chisholm Lead Capitals' Early Skates as Training Camp Approaches
The Capitals continue to welcome players back to DC with less than two weeks to go before the start of training camp. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren and offseason acquisition Declan Chisholm were both on the ice Saturday morning, joining a group of teammates for an informal skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
Other participants at the skate included Martin Fehervary, Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ludwig Persson, Eriks Mateiko, Mitch Gibson, and Ryan Chesley. Capitals skills coach Kenny McCudden led the on-ice skills session.
Alex Ovechkin is expected to join his teammates soon as a report from Match TV said he planned to fly back to DC on Friday.
Other participants at the skate included Martin Fehervary, Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ludwig Persson, Eriks Mateiko, Mitch Gibson, and Ryan Chesley. Capitals skills coach Kenny McCudden led the on-ice skills session.
Alex Ovechkin is expected to join his teammates soon as a report from Match TV said he planned to fly back to DC on Friday.
After signing a three-year extension in March, Lindgren is set to kick off his new deal this fall alongside goaltending partner Logan Thompson. The pair spent much of the 2024-25 season alternating starts before Thompson emerged as the team’s primary starter, playing in all 10 of Washington’s playoff games this spring.
Lindgren posted a record of 20-14-3 in 2024-25, earning a .896 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average. Though he admitted some frustration with his statistics during the season — especially after a breakout year in 2023-24, he told reporters at the team’s breakdown day in May that he was ultimately happy with his performance.
“I think took another step forward this year,” he said then. “Three years in Washington, it’s been an absolute treat. Couldn’t be more thrilled that I’ll be back here in September to continue on this journey with a lot of the same guys that were on the team this year.”
The Capitals traded for Chisholm at the 2025 NHL Draft amid a largely quiet offseason, acquiring the 25-year-old defenseman and a sixth-round pick from the Minnesota Wild for Hershey Bears defenseman Chase Priskie and a fourth-round pick. Chisholm played 66 games for Minnesota last season, recording 12 points (2g, 10a), and saw his team earn 51.1 percent of shot attempts and 53.9 percent of expected goals while on the ice at five-on-five.
With a large salary cap increase raising the price of unrestricted free agents, general manager Chris Patrick saw the trade as an opportunity to add depth without breaking the bank.
“(He’s) a guy who we can have a little control over the contract here, because he’s an RFA,” Patrick said in June. “We wanted to address our defensive depth this offseason, and if you go into the free agent market, you don’t have control over the costs. We thought this was a good chance to try to do that. We like where he’s trending as a player. Again, another guy that’s the right age, and I think he’s got a real good opportunity here to continue to build on what he was doing in Minnesota.”
Washington’s official preseason activities will kick off later this week with the start of Rookie Camp on Friday at McMullen Hockey Arena in Annapolis, Md. Those participants will join the rest of the team back at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for Training Camp on September 18.
