Although starting quarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions is at the top of the quarterback depth chart, there is some uncertainty below him.
With veteran Teddy Bridgewater, the backup quarterback from the previous season, deciding to retire, the Lions will start second-year quarterback Hendon Hooker as their starting quarterback.
After rejoining the active roster towards the end of the season, Hooker never made it onto the field and recovered from an ACL tear throughout the remainder of his first campaign.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report conjectured that the Lions might stick to the plan from the previous season and sign a seasoned backup, implying that Ryan Tannehill might make sense as a free agent.
Lions Could Use Assistance in Critical Area This offseason, the Lions showed Goff how much they valued him by offering him a $212 million, four-year contract extension that included $170 million in guaranteed money.
The squad that the former No. 1 overall pick led to the NFC Championship game last season in Detroit, demonstrating a significant turnaround.
With Bridgewater’s retirement this offseason, however, the Lions’ backup quarterback group isn’t very strong.
Having started 151 games in his career and been selected to the Pro Bowl, Tannehill is regarded as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, according to Ballentine.
Ballentine suggested that Tannehill might find a home with the Green Bay Packers and mentioned that the Lions might also be interested.
If Jared Goff were hurt, Ballentine said, “elsewhere in the NFC North, the Lions would be handing the offense over to second-year player Hendon Hooker.”
“It would seem reasonable for the Lions to insert a more seasoned quarterback behind Goff after Hooker missed the majority of his rookie season recovering from an ACL tear.”
Some have expressed the opinion that Tannehill would work well in Detroit.
Paul Kasabian, a fellow Bleacher Report contributor, opined that it could be too dangerous to proceed with Goff’s backing alone—just the untested Hooker.
Kasabian noted, “Hooker could very well find a home as a QB1 somewhere and carve out a successful career.”
“But if QB1 Jared Goff has to miss time just because of his inexperience, it might also be a little unsettling to give the keys to him.” Last year, the Lions added Bridgewater in the late summer and gave him the No. 2 place.
The team has a history of making last-minute adjustments to its quarterback room.
Lions May See Hendon Hooker for Something Else. Hooker’s worth to the organization may lay elsewhere, as Goff is set to start and the team has committed a large amount of the salary cap to his contract.
Colton Pouncy of the Athletics projected that the Lions might want to trade the 26-year-old, depending on the hype around him after college and his development as Goff’s backup. “Maybe a trade later on would be the best way to maximize his value now that Goff is blocking him for the foreseeable future?
The Lions drafted him to be a high-upside backup with starting potential if needed.” As Pouncy wrote. “This conversation is fascinating.
Most likely not for the 2024 campaign, but maybe later on in his rookie deal. Sports writer Nathan Dougherty covers the NFL for Heavy.com, specializing in the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills.
In the past, he worked as an assistant editor for the sports trade publications Coaching Management, Athletic Management, and Training & Conditioning in addition to writing for the Rochester Business Journal.
