‘ I’M BACK” Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker says he fully returns to practice, ‘good chance’ to play Saturday
' I'M BACK" Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker says he fully returns to practice, 'good chance' to play Saturday
Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker’s mom Wendy had a simple message for her son after his preseason debut last week against the Giants: ‘We gotta slide.’
Hooker returned to the field Wednesday after missing a couple practices due to a concussion suffered taking a hit on a scramble in last week’s preseason opener.
“That’s her thing. She’s been saying it for years. I’m learning,” Hooker said after practice Wednesday. “My mom is a huge fan of sliding. I always get it from her. Now the coaches are on me as well.”
Hooker was 5-of-9 passing for 36 yards against the Giants and also had four runs for 34 yards (8.5 average), but he took a couple shots at the end of those runs, one resulting in a concussion.
It’s hard to blame Hooker for wanting a little contact after not playing in a game since November 2022 due to a torn ACL, but at this level, it’s imperative quarterbacks take as few hits as they can.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket in an interview Wednesday morning Hooker has a good chance to play Saturday in Kansas City for the team’s second preseason game. Hooker said the same thing after practice and is looking forward to getting back out there. Game speed is different than practice speed, and those reps are invaluable for Hooker, who is competing with Nate Sudfeld and Jake Fromm to be Jared Goff’s backup in the regular season.
Hooker did a good job with his decision making against the Giants and controlling the tempo of the offense in his NFL debut. He gave the offense a boost after Sudfeld struggled in the first half.
“Just scoring the ball is the biggest thing,” Hooker said of the improvements he hopes to show Saturday in Kansas City. “First down and touchdowns, that’s what I’m focused on and orchestrating the offense in a great manner.”
Hooker’s athleticism and scrambling ability is a weapon, but this time around expect him to listen to his mom and avoid some of the hits he absorbed last week.
