Hendon Hooker is still on the Detroit Lions as of now, but below, we’ll be breaking down why a trade could make sense for Hooker and the Lions. The New Orleans Saints have a rough 2025 ahead of them, and even with Tyler Shough at the helm, it could make sense to take a shot on Hooker.
Coming out of Tennessee, Hooker was selected by the Lions with the 68th overall (third-round) pick. That’s not impressive on the surface, but keep in mind that Hooker tore his ACL before the draft and was still recovering. It’s believed that Hooker could have been a late first-round selection without the injury.
At Tennessee, Hooker broke out as a true senior in 2023, throwing for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Hooker decided to play his 5th college season in 2022, in which he looked amazing, throwing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. Sadly, his season was cut short after just 11 games as he suffered an ACL injury.
During Hooker’s time with the Lions, he has yet to start a single NFL game. Hooker has been stuck behind Jared Goff, causing him to have nine passing attempts in his first year active with the team in 2024.
With Goff on a massive deal, the Lions would benefit from moving Hooker for some extra draft capital. The Saints could use this year to give both Hooker and Shough a shot at becoming the starter before they head into the offseason next year.
Lions Trading Hendon Hooker to the New Orleans Saints
It’s not as if the New Orleans Saints are extremely invested in Shough, as they spent the 40th overall pick. While it’s enough to make him the starter, second-round picks don’t typically pan out.
Why not take a shot on Hooker, who had a chance to become a first-round pick before his ACL injury?
Why the New Orleans Saints Need to Trade for Hendon Hooker
We also already saw what Spencer Rattler brought to the table last year, and it wasn’t very impressive. In a year where the Saints aren’t going to be competitive, they should let Hooker start the year.
That way, they can see what they have in Hooker and determine whether he can live up to the hype he had before his ACL injury. If he’s not the answer, you’ve given your rookie Shough enough time to sit. When Shough gets his shot in the second half of the year, he’ll be much more prepared.
How Hendon Hooker Fits in New Orleans
All Hooker needs is a shot. There are very few places where he’s going to get that chance now that the Pittsburgh Steelers officially signed Aaron Rodgers.
The Saints’ situation isn’t great, but it’s not as if Hooker has the luxury to pick and choose at this point of his career. The saving grace for Hooker is that the Saints still have Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, who is entering year four. It’s not great, but Hooker has a few weapons at his disposal.
New Orleans Saints 2025 Outlook
Overall, the Saints are in a rough spot for 2025. Even though Hooker is a good prospect, it’s going to be tough for him to overcome this situation.
While it seems realistic that Hooker is going to be good enough to hold off Shough, the conversation is going to be about how he elevated this team out of a top-three pick if he ends up succeeding. There’s really no shot that Hooker can lead the Saints to the playoffs.
Right now, FanDuel has the Saints at -1250 odds to miss the playoffs, which is only above the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants. If the Lions can trade Hendon Hooker to the New Orleans Saints for a 2026 5th-round pick, this would be a beneficial deal for both sides.
