Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is making his expectations clear for backup quarterback Hendon Hooker heading into the 2025 NFL season.
The Lions selected Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he has seen only limited snaps in garbage time through his first two seasons. Last year, Detroit signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who was slotted ahead of Hooker on the depth chart to back up starter Jared Goff.
“Hooker knows the deal,” Campbell told Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “You’re out here to compete and we gave him some things to do while he was home, working on the urgency, the footwork, continue training, and it’s only one day but I liked what I saw out there yesterday.”
Campbell said Hooker showed urgency, improved footwork, and command in the huddle during the early stages of camp.
“He knows what it is. He knows it’s time to take the next step, and it’s his move. I think he’s wired right, and it means something to him. So here we go.”
The Lions are hoping that the 27-year-old quarterback out of Tennessee can build on a strong offseason and show the consistency they need behind Goff, who led Detroit to the NFC Championship Game in the 2023-24 season. The Lions lost in the Divisional Round of the 2024-25 playoffs to the Washington Commanders, ending their season.
If Hooker delivers in training camp, it could strengthen his case to be more than a backup—and possibly Detroit’s quarterback of the future.
After a win against the Minnesota Vikings in the final game of the regular season, the Lions won their second consecutive division title and clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history. They swept the NFC North for the first time, which was the best single-season division in NFL history by combined winning percentage. The Lions were also the only team in the 2024 season who swept their division.
The Lions finished the regular season with a franchise-record 15-2 record, tied for the most wins in the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Their two losses (to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills) came by a combined 10 points. Detroit became the second team to win 15 games since the 2015 Carolina Panthers after the Chiefs, and the first NFC North team to do so. They also became the first team in franchise history to go undefeated on the road.
However, their season was ultimately derailed by defensive injuries and ended in a shocking 45–31 upset loss to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round. They became the sixth consecutive team with 15 wins in the regular season to fail to win the Super Bowl, and only the second to not win a playoff game—joining the 2011 Green Bay Packers. The Chiefs later joined the list after losing Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles.