Top 5 options for Detroit Lions to replace Teddy Bridgewater next season

1. Hendon Hooker

Until further notice, Hooker is the favorite to be Jared Goff's backup next season and no one else is close. He'll have a fully healthy offseason, after spending a good part of his first NFL offseason rehabbing the torn ACL that truncated his final college season and took him from a potential first-round pick down to the third round in last year's draft.

In terms of readying himself for next season, Hooker revealed to the media this past week that he will not only work with Bridgewater this offseason, but he will go stay with Bridgewater and his family in Miami for a bit. Hooker also said he intends to go to California to work with Goff, and he will try to organize some offseason workouts with Lions' skill position players before training camp.

After being added to the active roster late in the regular season, and serving as the emergency No. 3 quarterback from there through the playoffs, Hooker got in some valuable practice time and overall experience he wouldn't have gotten otherwise. He's clearly all-in on doing his best to prepare himself to be Goff's backup next season, including continuing the relationship with Bridgewater that took root quickly this year.

Hooker's path to being the Lions' quarterback of the future appears to be blocked by the virtual certainty Goff will get a multi-year contract extension this offseason, with his advanced age (26) also a factor there. But he's fully embracing his role in Detroit, as expected, and the No. 2 spot on the depth chart next year is his for the taking.