CFL star coming to the Lions on a futures deal?
Back in December, the Lions had reigning CFL Defensive Player of the Year Mathieu Betts in for a visit. Now, as their 90-man offseason roster takes shape, Farhan Lalji of TSN is reporting a strong possibility Betts will sign a futures deal with the Lions soon.
I’m hearing that there is a real possibility that Matthieu Betts will agree to a futures contract in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. This is not done yet, he’s not able to sign until next week, but multiple sources tell me it’s headed in that direction. #CFLFA @SportsCentre pic.twitter.com/Zitk89vBRT
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) February 10, 2024
The reigning CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player (as mentioned), Betts had a breakout campaign with a league-leading 18 sacks for the BC Lions last season. In the previous season, his first with BC, he had seven sacks. He spent his first two seasons north of the border (2019 and 2021) with the Edmonton Eskimos/Elks.
Betts, a native of Montreal, participated in the East-West Shrine Game as a college prospect in 2019. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, and made it all the to final roster cuts in late-August before heading back north.
Check out some of Betts' highlights from last season.
College teammate says Hendon Hooker is in 'perfect spot' with the Lions
After a "redshirt" rookie season, coming off a torn ACL during his final college season, Hendon Hooker is ready to dive head-first into offseason preparation to become the Lions' No. 2 quarterback next season. He of course has yet to play in an NFL game, or even be seen by the media in a full practice.
It's also fair to say Hooker's status as the proverbial "quarterback of the future" in Detroit is up in the air based on the certainty Jared Goff gets a multi-year contract extension this offseason. Hooker was an older draft prospect, and he's now 26 years old.
But a college teammate of Hooker's at Tennessee, New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt thinks the young quarterback is in the perfect spot. Speaking with "The Morning Huddle" on 94.1 out of San Antonio, Hyatt talked about Hooker's situation in Detroit.
"I love him,” Hyatt said. “Obviously, he was my quarterback in college and we have a great relationship. When he got drafted to the Lions, I thought that was the perfect spot for him. The perfect spot, because now he’s getting back healthy. I think that’s the perfect spot for him. He has receivers around him, he has running backs—he has a duo of running backs—he has a good o-line, great coaching staff. It’s a great spot for him.”