Injuries happen in the NFL; there is no way around it. However, as with most other teams, one specific injury for the Detroit Lions this year might derail a season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Quarterback Jared Goff has been a durable player throughout his career, but if he goes down, the Lions are in serious trouble. The commitment made by general manager Brad Holmes to prioritize the No. 2 quarterback position heading into the 2023 summer resulted in the re-signing of Nate Sudfeld and the signing of Teddy Bridgewater just before training camp, after he appeared to be talked out of retiring.
This year, with Bridgewater retired, most people believe Hendon Hooker will be Goff’s primary backup. Dan Campbell’s comments at OTAs last week were not intended to be an indictment of Hooker, but they were informative in another way.
Yeah, really he (Hooker) just needs to take a step up,” Campbell said. “We need to feel like, by the end of camp, this guy, he can run this offense. He can be somebody we know that, man, we can play the game a certain way with him. We know he’s gonna be able to process the information, he’s gonna get us in the right play and he’s gonna keep the ship afloat. That’s it. We don’t need him to come in and win a game, you just want to feel like, alright. So, obviously, he’s gonna need to take another step up. The good news, right now, is he’s getting a ton of reps.”
Ryan Tannehill still makes sense as insurance behind Jared Goff
Some major media outlets have recently emphasized the Lions’ lack of experience behind Goff. Even Sudfeld, who was chosen in 2016, has played sparingly in the regular season. So free agency signal caller Ryan Tannehill has been mentioned as a potential fit several times, most notably by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine. Ballentine also highlighted the division foe Packers as a potential match for Tannehill.
“Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Lions would be handing the offense over to second-year player Hendon Hooker if Jared Goff were to be injured. Hooker spent most of his rookie season rehabbing a torn ACL, so it would make sense for the Lions to bring in a more experienced passer behind Goff.”
Tannehill has 151 regular season starts on his resume, and he has started five playoff games (including a conference title game). His level of play has dropped off in recent years, effectively ending his days as a clear-cut starter. That, and approaching his 36th birthday (July 27), explains why he’s still available as June looms.
The Lions have often adjusted their quarterback depth chart over the summer or late in camp. Tannehill might be that pivot this year, assuming he remains available and Hooker is not progressing as expected. Much to the anger of some who have anointed Hooker, the Lions can and should leave their options open as to who will back up Goff this year. Tannehill isn’t going anywhere on that front just yet.
