The Detroit Lions don’t expect rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker to play much, if at all, this season.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said on the “Green Light Podcast” with former NFL star Chris Long that the Lions are planning for Hooker, their third-round pick in last month’s NFL draft, to take “a redshirt year” this fall.
“Really, this is a redshirt year for him,” Campbell said. “He’s got to get this leg right first and then he’ll learn under Jared (Goff), and then let’s see what happens. If he can eventually become your two or maybe down the road, later on, it’s more than that, but it’s going to be a long time.”
Hooker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a Nov. 19 loss to South Carolina.
He declined to put a timetable on his return on draft night, but said he was doing low-gravity running and had recently resumed taking dropbacks.
“I’m taking it day by day, continuing to control what I can control and keep a great attitude and work. That’s all I can do,” Hooker said. “It’s been a grind and I just take it day by day and whenever I’m ready to rock and roll, that’s going to be a sight to see.”
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Goff, the Lions’ starter the past two seasons, played some of the best football of his career in the second half of last season, when he threw for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions, and led the Lions to eight wins in their final 10 games.
Still 28, Goff has two years left on his current contract and could be in line for an extension. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said last week the team already has had conversations with Goff’s agent about a new deal.
If the Lions give Goff a new contract, that could relegate Hooker to backup status for the duration of his rookie deal. As the 68th overall pick, Hooker will sign a four-year slotted contract.
Campbell said the Lions went into the offseason determined “to bring in some competition at quarterback.” Along with Hooker, who was a Heisman Trophy frontrunner at Tennessee last season before suffering his injury, the Lions re-signed backup Nate Sudfeld in free agency.
“We didn’t know exactly where that might be, who that would be at the time, but we did like Hooker,” Campbell said. “We knew he was coming off the injury, but there was something about him that was appealing. He’s very mature. He looks the part, he’s got a big arm. He’s just, he’s got to learn how to play in the NFL. But he’s a pro now, and I like the fact that he was older. We all kind of like the fact that he was older. I think you want your quarterback to be a little bit more mature. They got a lot on their plate.”
Already 25, Hooker is old for a rookie and considered closer to his ceiling than most first-year players.
The Lions, however, see plenty of development in Hooker’s future considering he played in a spread offense at Tennessee and will spend at least this season learning under Goff.
“To be able to get him where we did, we traded back twice and we were still able to acquire him, we felt like that was, everything played out just the right way for us,” Campbell said. “We were excited, and to your point, yes, Goff is going to handle it well. He knew, Brad had called him, and he’s great. And he’ll help this guy just learn and grow.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.