As should have been expected, the Detroit Lions are having an equal competition for the backup quarterback spot. Hendon Hooker and Nate Sudfeld are rotating days with the second and third-team offenses so far in training camp, and it's fair to say Hooker has not separated himself just yet.
Joint practices and preseason opener against the New York Giants next week will be big steps for Hooker. He quite possibly will start to separate himself from Sudfeld soon then, and dismiss any notion the Lions have a looming issue if Sudfeld ends up in the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
Hooker revealed he suffered a dislocated right ring finger on the first day of OTAs, which explains the scatter shot accuracy reporters on the ground saw and noted then. He has been more accurate in camp so far, and he has broadly looked better than he did in OTAs.
Ben Johnson wants to quell any concerns about Hendon Hooker
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson talked to the media before Thursday's practice. Hooker was an easily expected topic, and Johnson addressed it about as expected.
"Listen, we’ve taken the approach, we’re coaching him hard, which means we’re throwing a lot on him and when he makes a mistake, we’re letting him know about it,” Johnson said, via Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News. “That’s what we believe in because if he can handle that, then once he gets to these preseason games, it’s going to be a cinch for him. He’s really going to click, and I think he’s going to flourish because of that.”
“I think at this point now, he’s got a comfort level,” Johnson said. “Those six weeks off during the summer, all of those young guys, but especially Hendon, I mean, you can tell he really worked at his craft. He worked on calling the plays, getting in and out of the huddle, the procedure of it, because once he got that part right, now we can see his talent really coming to life."
"He’s been a lot more accurate here in training camp. You’ve seen him on the move a little bit more. I think once we get him into games, we’ll see his legs really be a benefit for us. So, I’m pleased with the growth he had from the springtime here to camp and we’ll continue to see how far we can push him here over the next few weeks.”
As a possible sign of his increased comfort level, according to Tim Twentyman of Lions.com, Hooker ran for a touchdown during Thursday's practice.
If he has any big concerns about Hooker right now, Johnson was not going to (and will never) directly say so publicly. It is still pretty early, with some important tests coming for the young quarterback.