After spending the last two seasons with the Detroit Lions, it is looking less and less likely that Hendon Hooker will be getting a third. The former Tennessee Volunteers star quarterback had a preseason to forget. He had ball security issues throughout. While the Lions are working in a pair of new coordinators, this summer had to be the time for Hooker to truly develop as an NFL quarterback.
We all know that it will be Jared Goff running point in John Morton's offense in Detroit, but it seems as though head coach Dan Campbell believes it is time for Hooker to find a new place to play. Everybody seems to love the guy personally, but this is year three for him out of Tennessee. After having spent six years in college, Hooker can no longer be labeled as a developmental project that is pushing 27.
Detroit Lions have officially released former Vols QB Hendon Hooker
UPDATE: Shortly after this article was published, the Detroit Lions parted ways with the young quarterback according to Mike Garafolo. Hooker will now look for a new team to give him another shot in the league after things didn't go to plan for him with Detroit.
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk touched on this after Campbell's latest press conference.
“How much development do you believe there is? We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?”
Again, you can really feel the emotion in Campbell's statement when speaking about Hooker here.
“I wish Hooker — and I know he does — would have had a better outing, but you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt. It’s not like he was playing with our first o-line out there, or first team skill position, all of that. You take that all into account as well. I thought he was prepared, I thought he was ready, looked pretty calm, and circumstances didn’t work out today, that’s all.”
Hooker approaches cut day as the third-string quarterback on the Lions' depth chart. Per Ourlads, Hooker is behind both starter Jared Goff, as well as newcomer free agent Kyle Allen. While Allen is not one of the better backups in the league, he does have NFL starting experience on his side. Allen starred in college at Texas A&M and Houston before primarily playing for Carolina and Washington.
With Hooker not expected to make the Lions' 53-man roster, what may come next for him in the NFL?
While I cannot claim to know how badly they may need him, I could see him potentially going to a team like the New York Jets as a free agent. Their new head coach Aaron Glenn may favor the other side of the ball, but they worked together for years in Detroit. Although Hooker's former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is calling the shots in Chicago, the Bears seem to be good with their guys.
As the Lions prepare to move on from Hendon Hooker, are they ready to trust Kyle Allen to be the understudy to Jared Goff? https://t.co/YcJyiPZ5qY
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 25, 2025
Overall, we have to remind ourselves that the NFL is, in fact, an acronym for Not For Long. Everybody playing in this league was a college football star at some point of their illustrious amateur careers. However, the draft prospects and undrafted free agents just keep on coming, man. Hooker was an unbelievable quarterback for Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, but that was three and four seasons ago.
Ultimately, I believe he will find another NFL team to play for beyond Detroit. He is a likable guy with a proven track record at Tennessee. However, there is a pathway where he could fizzle out of the league in short order. Unfortunately, it seems to be a consequence of the Air Raid offense Josh Heupel runs in Knoxville. We have seen other former Vols quarterbacks and receivers struggle in the NFL of late.
We all wish Hooker nothing but the best, but the best thing for him is to find another team to play for.