Breaking: Lions Set to Cut Ties with QB, Marking the End of an Era in Detroit
The Detroit Lions had a scare in the first half of their sole playoff game against the Washington Commanders this postseason when quarterback Jared Goff left the field and headed for the ominous blue tent pitched on the sidelines.
When the Lions came back out on offense, it was the recently un-retired Teddy Bridgewater to whom head coach Dan Campbell turned instead of former third-round pick and Tennessee Volunteers star Hendon Hooker.
That decision from Campbell pretty much says all that needs to be uttered when it comes to the young quarterback’s future with the franchise. Bill Barnwell of ESPN on Jan. 30 named Hooker Detroit’s top candidate for release heading into the offseason.
“The Lions don’t have anybody playing meaningful snaps who sticks out as a likely cap casualty. One potential candidate is the 27-year-old Hooker, who has thrown nine passes in two years,” Barnwell wrote. “Hooker is owed only $1.3 million in un-guaranteed money in 2025, but he’s too inexperienced to be a reliable backup and too old to be a quarterback of the future, especially after Goff signed an extension last May.”
Bridgewater probably is not a long-term solution as the Lions’ backup considering he retired to coach a high school football team at the beginning of 2024 and didn’t return to active NFL status until it had won a Florida state championship.
Bridgewater went 1-of-1 passing for 3 yards against the Commanders in the divisional round and will turn 33 years old next November.
