The Detroit Lions wanted an experienced quarterback for the third and final spot on the depth chart, and appear to have found one in a veteran with 32 NFL appearances on his resume.
The Lions have an empty spot on the depth chart after parting ways with former third-round pick Hendon Hooker, who lost the competition for the No. 2 spot to veteran Kyle Allen. The Lions decided to cut ties with Hooker entirely rather than bring him back to the practice squad, leaving space for one more quarterback.
The team brought in two potential candidates this week, including one that fits head coach Dan Campbell’s criteria and is expected to land the job.
Lions Working Out Veteran Quarterback
The Lions invited veterans C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman for workouts on Wednesday, with NFL Network reporter Mike Garofolo sharing that the team made a choice.
“The #Lions are expected to sign QB C.J. Beathard to the practice squad after todayâs workout, sources say. Heâll be their third QB behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen,” Garofolo shared in a post on X.
Before Beathard was signed, Campbell indicated that the team wasn’t looking for a developmental project for their third quarterback and instead wanted someone they could trust to play if the two ahead suffered injuries.
“I would say that we’re looking for somebody that, if we need them, we know they can run the show,” Campbell said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “They can run the offense, they can process the information more than â can we find a guy to develop, you know, that’s unknown.”
Campbell added that the team was looking for someone they were familiar with, though there were few options left on the open market who had connections to the team. Beathard has appeared in 32 games with 13 career starts. He completed 60.4% of his passes for 3,886 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Hendon Hooker Off to a Fresh Start
Campbell said when releasing Hooker that they wanted the former Tennessee quarterback to have the chance for a fresh start, and he quickly found one with the Carolina Panthers. Hooker signed to the practice squad, playing behind fellow 2022 Manning Passing Academy student Bryce Young.
“Me and Bryce have been cool, before the draft process, going back to like the Manning Camp,” Hooker said, via the team’s official website. “We would have long conversations about play calls, about changing protections, about what we’re seeing, ID the defense, and really just playing at a high level.”
Hooker said the two connected again before the NFL combine, where they spent close to two hours together in the airport on the way to Indianapolis. The pair formed a bond that will now renew in Carolina, where Hooker has the chance to develop on the practice squad.
“I remember traveling to the combine, me and Bryce, I think we might have talked for maybe two hours on just pass protection in the airport,” Hooker added. “But we’ve had a pretty good bond for a pretty long time.”
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