Hendon Hooker’s rookie year with the Detroit Lions has come to an end during the red-shirt phase.
On December 18, head coach Dan Campbell informed media that Hooker was prepared to return to the active roster. Campbell had previously stated during the preseason that the rookie quarterback would be recovering from a torn ACL and would be taking a “red-shirt” year.
After Hooker’s three-week acclimation window ended, the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers wrote that the organization had to decide whether to activate him or place him on injured reserve, which would finish the season. He may play in his debut NFL game after the Lions added him to the roster.
Gradual Recuperation for The majority of the team’s offseason activities were missed by rookie Hooker, who has been recuperating from the ruptured ACL that ended his last season at Tennessee. At the end of November, the club opted to start Campbell’s three-week practice window. Campbell stated at the time that this would allow the coaching staff to start working with him on the field.
Hendon Hooker practicing NFL football for the first time. pic.twitter.com/BWudUCaqIM
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) November 29, 2023
According to the Detroit News, Campbell stated, “We can’t coach him by rules.” “He can attend meetings, but he cannot perform any basic labor outside of the building. All you have to do is kind of stand there. That’s why it’s beneficial to be able to work one-on-one with him and make quick progress. That explains its size. Being able to do some of those things with him would be lovely. You must therefore add him to the roster. The regulations forbid him from doing any of that in any other case.
The Lions are poised to win their first divisional crown in thirty years, but if they secure the top seed heading into the final weeks and wish to save starting quarterback Jared Goff, Hooker might see action.
As backup quarterback, quarterback Approaching the End of the Path
Teddy Bridgewater, a seasoned quarterback who has played for ten years, has been Goff’s backup this season. However, this week, the experienced quarterback announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season.
Injuries also ended Bridgewater’s career. He was an 11-5 player in his debut season with the Minnesota Vikings after being selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. However, he had to heal from an ACL tear in the offseason that followed.
Although Bridgewater was able to make a comeback, he had injuries in between starts for six different NFL teams. In an interview that was published on December 16, Bridgewater told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he doesn’t spend much time considering what might have happened had he stayed healthy.
“Everything that occurs has a purpose,” Bridgewater informed Birkett. “Injuries, successes, failures, highs, and lows.” Everything about it develops character, and it certainly did for me.
Like I never seem to be thinking, ‘Oh no, what if?’ Nope. Whatever was intended for me came to pass precisely as intended. And I continue to think like way every day.
