Near the start of training camp, unsurprisingly, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell essentially confirmed that Hendon Hooker would not be handed the backup quarterback job. It took some time, but it appeared Hooker won the gig with his performance in the second preseason game against the Chiefs.
Not so fast. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler passed along some "quarterback notes" before Saturday's slate of preseason games, including this regarding the Lions' QB2 situation.
"*Hendon Hooker fighting for QB2 in Detroit. Chiefs thought he saw the field well vs. them last week. More positive work vs. Steelers will strengthen his case. Nate Sudfeld slated as the 2 right now."
To be fair to Nate Sudfeld, he was markedly better in the second preseason game than he was in the first. The Lions clearly value what he brings to the quarterback room, if only intangibly as someone who has worked in a lot of different offenses during his career.
But in that career, seven seasons if you take away losing last year to a torn ACL in the Lions' preseason finale, Sudfeld has just 37 regular season pass attempts (and none since 2020). Under no circumstance would a team want him to be an injury to their starting quarterback away from playing.
Well, the Lions appear to be fine with that scenario. Dan Campbell did invite the idea of keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, within a flimsy notion that Sudfeld had the upper hand in the competition because he has "played more" and "seen it more."
Which reminds of something that was said in January of 2023.
Lions supposed 'emphasis' on the No. 2 quarterback has landed them here
As the 2023 offseason got going, via SI.com, here's what Lions general manager Brad Holmes said about the spot on the depth chart behind Jared Goff.
"Going into this past year, yeah, we went down to the umpteenth hour trying to figure out what we were gonna do at number two. “I’ve let it be known internally that we’re not gonna be in that position again heading into this year, so we have to get that settled. I thought Nate Sudfeld did a nice job with us, so we’ll figure that out. But, I am gonna make it a point of emphasis and make sure that, being that we’re finally in a position to address that quarterback room behind Jared, we have been in that position in the past. But, we’re gonna make that a point of emphasis this year.”"
That "emphasis" included re-signing Sudfeld, and the only known pursuit of someone better a pursuit of Teddy Bridgewater. And Bridgewater apparently had to be talked out of retiring, which explains why he wasn't signed until just before training camp started last year.
After a "redshirt" rookie season working his way back from a torn ACL, Hooker has simply needed all the reps he can get. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's also being held against him in some way. The idea that Sudfeld is more trustworthy due to how much "experience" he has is flimsy. Honing in on meaningful playing experience, it's also factually wrong (14 regular season pass attempts since 2017.
The "emphasis" on the No. 2 quarterback spot that Holmes professed more than a year and half ago has never really come. So the Lions are where they are now, choosing between someone they don't yet trust (Hooker) and someone they shouldn't want to be one snap away from having to play (Sudfeld) to be Goff's backup. If only someone could have seen that coming.
However, Hooker can change things with a good showing against the Steelers.
