As a sports fan, it's never a good feeling to watch a player you were once (and possibly still unreasonably) high on not meeting expectations. You envision this person being a critical puzzle piece in your franchise's never-ending championship pursuit, only to be smacked in the face by reality. Detroit Lions supporters have been beyond that level of infatuation with third-year quarterback Hendon Hooker for some time now. Alas, the idea of him being a viable backup is even becoming far-fetched, evidenced by their preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick and one-time Heisman Trophy hopeful, can't beat out veteran journeyman/career reserve Kyle Allen for Detroit's No. 2 signal-caller job. He struggled to keep the team's offense moving against Miami like the latter did in the first half. Consequently, the Lions squandered the 14-7 lead they took to the locker room at the intermission, with the former's ineffectiveness being a glaring swing factor.
Lions fans are witnessing the Hendon Hooker experiment end in real time
It was yet another poor exhibition showing from Hooker versus the Phins. He completed 6-of-13 passes for a preseason-high 61 scoreless yards and an interception that sealed the Lions' fate in the final seconds of the contest.
Hendon Hooker folks pic.twitter.com/9CJZniMnle
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) August 16, 2025
Credit to Dolphins undrafted free agent rookie cornerback Ethan Robinson for making a helluva play. He read Hooker's eyes beautifully, then had the instincts and athleticism to come down with an impressive pick behind the line of scrimmage. Miami decision-makers will surely file this away when making their final 53-man roster cuts, and so will the Lions.
A heroic effort from Robinson detracted from Hooker making what appeared to be the right read. Lions undrafted free agent rookie tight end/fullback Zach Horton had no defenders to beat and nothing but green grass in front of him. It could've been a decent gain that put Detroit closer to the end zone and game-tying/winning touchdown before stepping out of bounds to stop the clock. Instead, the result was a dagger of epic proportions.
Hendon Hooker is running out of chances to impress Lions front office
With one tune-up match remaining before the upcoming NFL campaign and Allen in pole position to be Jared Goff's primary understudy, Hooker's time is waning. Many clubs carry two passers, maybe three, unless you're the Cleveland Browns with six. Detroit has given him chances, but his back may officially be on the wall.
If Hooker's only miscue was someone else's highlight, perhaps it'd be excusable. But he also took two sacks while averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, yielding a dismal 28.0 passer rating. The Lions' six offensive drives with him under center in the 24-17 defeat to Miami went as follows: punt, punt, field goal, punt, punt, interception.