The Detroit Lions made a massive commitment this offseason when they chose to sign quarterback Jared Goff to a massive extension. Goff’s new deal is a four-year, $212 million contract. It’s a huge step to make, but it’s clear that Brad Holmes and the Detroit front office believe fully in Goff’s ability to lead the team.
However, there are some question marks behind Goff at the quarterback position. If Goff were to go down with an injury, could Hendon Hooker actually step in and lead this team to contention?
That has left some wondering if the Lions should consider making a move at the backup quarterback position as they continue developing Hooker.
One name is starting to generate some buzz as a potential candidate for the Detroit Lions.
Detroit Lions Could Make Huge Quarterback Move Behind Jared Goff For 2024
Alex Ballentine, an analyst for Bleacher Report, suggested that the Lions should make a move for free agent veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
“Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Lions would be handing the offense over to second-year player Hendon Hooker if Jared Goff were to be injured. Hooker spent most of his rookie season rehabbing a torn ACL, so it would make sense for the Lions to bring in a more experienced passer behind Goff.”
Tannehill is such an interesting player, because he’s had both good and horrible seasons. At times, he has bene a legitimate playoff contending quarterback. Other times, he has been a big part of the reason that his teams haven’t made it to the postseason.
Last season with the Tennessee Titans before being benched in favor of Will Levis, Tannehill played in 10 games. He had a poor stat line during those 10 appearances. When everything was said and done, he completed 64.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,616 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
For the Detroit Lions, this is a move that may or may not make sense. If they think that Tannehill could run the offense better than Hooker, a one-year deal would make sense. Hopefully, Tannehill would never see the field.
On the other hand, the Lions may feel that if Goff goes down, the quarterback position would not be able to save them. Hooker might be able to perform good enough to help the rest of the team carry him.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see if the Detroit Lions make any moves at quarterback before the 2024 season. If they don’t, they’re signaling that they’re comfortable with Hooker’s ability.
