The Detroit Lions faced a tense moment in the first half of their lone playoff game against the Washington Commanders this postseason when quarterback Jared Goff exited the field and entered the team’s medical tent.
When the offense returned, it was the recently un-retired Teddy Bridgewater who stepped in, rather than former third-round pick and Tennessee Volunteers standout Hendon Hooker.
That decision by head coach Dan Campbell speaks volumes about Hooker’s future with the team. On January 30, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell identified Hooker as the Lions’ most likely roster cut ahead of the offseason.
“The Lions don’t have anybody playing meaningful snaps who sticks out as a likely cap casualty. One potential candidate is the 27-year-old Hooker, who has thrown nine passes in two years,” Barnwell wrote. “Hooker is owed only $1.3 million in un-guaranteed money in 2025, but he’s too inexperienced to be a reliable backup and too old to be a quarterback of the future, especially after Goff signed an extension last May.”
Bridgewater, meanwhile, is unlikely to serve as a long-term backup. He initially retired in early 2024 to coach high school football and only returned to the NFL after leading his team to a Florida state championship.
The veteran quarterback completed his lone pass attempt for 3 yards in the Lions’ divisional-round win over the Commanders and will turn 33 next November.
