If you can choose to win or lose a preseason game, you'd rather win. That said, the Detroit Lions' 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game shouldn't be overblown. Even while sending a message to a segment of players, head coach Dan Campbell keep things in proper perspective.
One of the big headlines from the Hall of Fame Game for the Lions is how the competition to be Jared Goff's backup went in a game setting. Which is to say not well, as Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker combined to throw three interceptions.
Hooker played the entire second half against the Chargers, going 3-for-6 for 18 yards with the aforementioned interception, two sacks taken and nine rushing yards. He also appeared to hit his head pretty hard at the end of a run.
Hendon Hooker takes an absolutely nasty head trauma
-Full speed vid then 1/4 speed
-See sideline reaction
-Back of head inc risk for concussion
-Kept playing but needs monitor for delayed symptoms
-Had concussion last preszn
-Needs to stop scrambling so much or he won't last pic.twitter.com/MuHCGXagRz— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) August 1, 2025
Hooker mostly won the No. 2 quarterback job by default last year, as Nate Sudfeld proved himself to be lame competition. The way Allen mostly played in the first half of the Hall of Fame Game, and despite the sentiment he'll have to earn the job, Hooker may end up having it handed to him by default again.
Noted Detroit sports media personality channels easy Hendon Hooker sentiment
Filling in as a co-host on Woodward Sports' "Big D Energy" Friday, noted Detroit sports media personality Terry Foster acknowledged (seemingly jokingly) how he forgot the Lions were playing in the Hall of Fame Game. He noted how he wanted to see how some individual players did, so he watched.
Of course the current state of the competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot was an obvious part of the conversation about the game, at which point Foster needed to get something off his chest (NSFW).
"If I hear one more motherf**cker say, 'you know, Hendon Hooker can run, I think he should take over for Jared Goff’, I’m going to eat your children", Foster said.
Leaving aside if anyone is actually saying that about Hooker at this point, that's quite the quote.
READ MORE: Dan Campbell sends pointed message after Lions sloppy Hall of Game showing
Later in the show, the QB2 topic came back around and the idea of a late preseason move was being discussed if the Lions aren't happy with Hooker and/or Allen. Foster said he thinks Allen will assert himself as the top backup, and make a move to trade for someone else unnecessary.
Fellow fill-in co-host Anson Wells brought up the scenario where the Lions would expose Hooker to waivers and hope to get him back on the practice squad (Wells thinks Hooker would get claimed by another team). Having Hooker as the No. 3 quarterback feels pointless, if that possibility becomes real.
"I think they'll try to trade him", Foster said.
That prompted a discussion about Hooker's naturally diminished trade value, due in part to how the Lions replaced him with Teddy Bridgewater late last season. With the inevitability Hooker will be gone after his rookie contract expires in 2026, what a show contributor called the "Hendon Hooker experiment" will be over.
"Was it really an experiment?", Foster said. "Did we even get to that stage?". Another contributor on the show pointed to said experiment with Hooker being "still in BETA testing", to which Wells said "BETA at best."
Hooker can change the narrative if he crushes it in upcoming preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons (Aug. 8) and Miami Dolphins (Aug. 16). If he does so, in a win-win for the Lions, he'd either assert himself as the No. 2 quarterback or resuscitate his trade value.
In any case, with what was said after the profane remark, Foster and the rest of the "Big D Energy" crew channeled where a lot of Lions fans (and analysts) are with Hooker right now.
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