Since he won the Detroit Lions' No. 2 quarterback job coming out of the preseason, outside of a social media post that was fairly aggressive in the wake of a Week 2 loss, Hendon Hooker has been out of sight and out of mind. And as long as Jared Goff is healthy, the second-year signal caller won't see the field this season.
That said, we do know that backup quarterbacks are important during a week of preparation for a game. They are also another set of eyes for the starting quarterback during a game.
Starting with how Goff turned to him to brainstorm answers about the Cover 0 looks the Los Angeles Rams might have in the season opener, Hooker noted that unseen work.
"Just refreshers of things that we might have had last year that might have slipped his mind," Hooker said Friday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I was here and grasped the offense pretty well and just remind him of things. Anyway that I can help Jared, I do, whether that’s us watching film and just talking ball or us on the sideline telling him what I see in a game."
Behind the scenes work is accelerating Hendon Hooker's development
On a similar note, Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell spoke to reporters on Friday and talked about the position room behind Goff.
After mixing in a mention of practice squad quarterback Jake Fromm as far as helping Goff prepare each week, Brunell talked more about Hooker.
"He's getting better every week, and I'm not just saying that," Brunell said. "He really is getting better each week. He's getting some reps, some live reps. Of course, he's running the majority of the scout team. But we're doing some 2s on 2s, and putting him in some situations where he's executing very well. You just see the growth on the field and in the classroom. We're really excited about him, obviously."
Per Birkett, Hooker said he is "miles ahead" confidence-wise compared to where he was a year ago and is "ready to roll" if he is called upon to play. In any case, as could be expected without an injury rehab in play, Hooker's role and development have ramped up noticeably.