Hendon Hooker has been released by the Detroit Lions, according to multiple reports Aug. 25.
The former Tennessee football quarterback spent three seasons with the Lions, who drafted Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He played in three games in the 2024 season, going 6-for-9 passing for 62 yards.
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Hooker was 6-for-11 passing for 70 yards in a 26-7 loss against the Houston Texas in the preseason finale on Aug. 23. In four preseason games, he went 22-for-40 passing for 187 yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns.
The Lions opted to keep Kyle Allen as their backup quarterback behind longtime starter Jared Goff, which led to Hooker’s release.
Hooker completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,153 yards and 27 touchdowns with two interceptions in 2023, leading UT to a 9-1 start with the program’s best start since 1998 first win over Alabama since 2006. He tore his ACL at South Carolina in the penultimate regular-season game, ending his career and his Heisman push.
The Greensboro, North Carolina, native transferred to Tennessee in January 2021 after starting his career at Virginia Tech. He committed to ex-Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt, then stuck through the transition into the Josh Heupel era. The pair proved a perfect marriage and have revived the struggling Tennessee program.
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Hooker lost the starting quarterback job to Joe Milton before the 2021 season, but took over midway through the second game and held onto the spot for 22 games. He threw for 6,080 yards and 58 touchdowns with only five interceptions over that span. He also rushed for 1,050 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Hendon Hooker: Detroit Lions release former Tennessee quarterback | Reports
