The Detroit Lions have had an open quarterback competition to begin training camp between Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen to be Jared Goff’s backup in 2025.
The two have been trading reps with the second-team offense every other day in practice and head coach Dan Campbell is going to give each player every opportunity possible to win the job on performance.
We'll get our first look at both Hooker and Allen in live game action Thursday night under the lights as the Lions open the preseason in Canton, Ohio for the Hall of Fame Game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Make the right decisions. Don't try to do anything flashy, don't try to make plays, you just do what you're asked to do and wherever the defense dictates that the ball should go, that's where it should go and then let those guys make a play," head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday of what he wants to see from both quarterbacks Thursday night.
"If it's supposed to go down to the back, put it to the back, he's got to make a play, and we'll see what happens. Even if that means we've got to punt, that's OK, you just do what you're asked to do, run the offense, stay cool, stay calm, stay collected, run that huddle, make sure there's clear communication and that's all I'm looking for. It's all I care about."
Hooker was Goff's backup last season during the regular season and played in all three preseason contests last year as he was battling Nate Sudfeld for the backup job. Hooker finished the preseason completing 29-of-44 passes for 300 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 83.5 passer rating. He also rushed 19 times for 138 yards and a touchdown.
"It's controlling what I can control," Hooker said Tuesday when asked what a good performance Thursday night would entail in his book. "My presence in the huddle and pushing my troops down the field to put points on the board."
Allen has more NFL experience than Hooker having played in 31 career games with 19 starts. He has a 62.7 career completion percentage with 26 touchdowns vs. 21 interceptions. He's 7-12 in those 19 career starts. Allen started 12 games for Carolina in 2019 and was 5-7 in those contests.
"Just playing a good clean game," Allen said of what he wants to show coaches Thursday night. "Execute and move the football. Nothing crazy. The same thing I'm doing every day out here at practice. Show up, execute the plays that are called and do my job. That's it."
Both quarterbacks have made their fair share of plays throughout the course of eight training camp practices with the second-team offense and Thursday night should be a fun first step in determining who will win the backup job.
