Hendon Hooker, a quarterback selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the NFL Draft in 2018, was expected to spend 2023 as a redshirt. After suffering an ACL tear in November of the previous year, Hooker was considered a pick for 2024 and beyond.

In the last weeks of the regular season and during the playoffs, Hooker filled in as the backup quarterback after working his way up to scout team reps late in the previous year.

Hooker is fighting for a spot as Jared Goff’s backup this season as the Lions resume their spring training for the 2024 campaign. According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Hooker had his greatest spring session this Wednesday.

Prior to Thursday’s media-only session, Campbell stated, “I would say yesterday was good to see.” “Yesterday, we saw some progress that was quite encouraging, and you sensed a little bit of the improvement that we had been really hoping for. Just a handful of his throws and readings.”

Before sustaining the knee injury late in 2022, Hooker was hitting 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns on 69.6% of his passes with just two interceptions in 11 games.

If not for the accident, he also ran for 430 yards and five touchdowns, and he was likely going to win the Heisman Trophy.

The Lions are counting on veteran Teddy Bridgewater to step up and take over as Goff’s backup this season after he retired this offseason to teach high school football in Miami.

It’s challenging to assign a timeline to anything. Particularly in that position, each player develops at a different rate, according to Campbell. We place a lot of pressure on quarterbacks these days, and he has a lot.

It serves as a reminder that this spring is his first. It’s his first training camp, and he has never experienced spring. Again, all you have to do is observe progress, therefore yesterday’s observation was encouraging.”

According to Hooker, he is concentrated on building on successful days like Wednesday and developing further in this offense.

Following practice on Thursday, he stated, “Just taking full command of the offense in the huddle and playing loose and having fun.” “Not really thinking too much and just reacting and playing like my old self.”

According to Hooker, during the past year, he has added muscle to his upper body, which has slightly altered his mechanics and delivery. He has a lot on his plate right now, including strengthening his knee, fine-tuning his mechanics, picking up the offense, and facing off against veteran Nate Sudfeld for the backup position.

It’s a learning curve, according to Hooker. “Jumping in and really taking real reps and navigating through the offense through audibles and checks is a new perspective, but I’m enjoying going through the process.”

Hooker acknowledges that there’s a significant gap between the mental training he underwent last spring and actually taking charge of the team.

He made a joke about how one of the hardest things he’s had to learn is that, occasionally, he just needs to turn off his thinking and play ball. Avoid overanalyzing or making excessive checks or revisions.

He said, “Just call it and ball it.”

Seeing Hooker grow and the rivalry between him and Sudfeld—who is making a comeback from a torn ACL he sustained during the previous preseason—play out should make for an enjoyable summer.

“Anytime you have a consistent pace, you’re stacking days, that’s what we’re trying to do here,” Hooker stated. “Just stack these days and get one percent better every day.”