Should the Lions be in the market for a notable veteran to back up Jared Goff?

At the outset of the 2023 offseason, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes promised some priority on the No. 2 quarterback spot. That, eventually, yielded Teddy Bridgewater right before training camp.

Bridgewater has retired to go into coaching at his high school alma mater. So as it sits right now Hendon Hooker and Nate Sudfeld are behind Jared Goff on the depth chart. Hooker is an unknown quantity and Sudfeld has thrown 37 NFL regular season passes since being drafted in 2016.

So it's safe to say a significant injury to Goff would set a 2024 season with legit Super Bowl aspirations off-course. That led to some light speculation about Tom Brady, after Brady sounded open to playing again-perhaps as an in-season solution for a contending team that lost its starter.

But in a broader and more realistic sense, the Lions could be in the market for a veteran quarterback. Sudfeld is a clipboard holder with value to Goff behind the scenes. Hooker is interesting, but his first NFL game snaps will come in the preseason.

Lions rumors: In the market for a veteran quarterback?

For what it's worth, both Bleacher Report and Pro Football Network have named the Lions as a post-draft free agency fit for the same veteran signal caller.

Ryan Tannehill.

David Kenyon of Bleacher Report named two of the Lions' NFC North rivals, the Bears and the Packers, as fits for Tannehill. But the Lions make some sense too.

Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network hit a similar "proven veteran behind Jared Goff" note in naming the Lions as his best fit for Tannehill.

"If the Lions don’t feel comfortable with Hooker being one Jared Goff injury from leading their Super Bowl-caliber roster, Tannehill could be their agenda."

Tannehill's days as a clear-cut starter are done. Any opportunities he might have had to go somewhere and be a stopgap or a bridge to a young quarterback are basically gone, other than maybe the Denver Broncos. But he'd still be an experienced upgrade to some backup situations around the league, including Detroit's.

It really comes down to how much faith the Lions have in Hooker, should something happen to Goff. They may not have a clear answer right now, without even seeing Hooker work at OTAs. But Tannehill makes a lot of sense as a veteran who should be on their radar to potentially be Goff's backup.