Packers Linked to Wild Move for Former Lions QB

The Green Bay Packers enter the final hours of roster construction with a familiar need at the bottom of the quarterback depth chart.

After sending Kyle McCord to Miami over the weekend and declining to claim a signal-caller off waivers on Monday, the team still requires a third quarterback behind Jordan Love and veteran Tyrod Taylor.

Practice-squad additions that day did not include one, leaving the door open for a veteran looking for a fresh start.

Bill Huber of On SI framed several of those candidates as reclamation projects, and former Detroit Lions third-round pick Hendon Hooker sits near the top of that list.

“The Lions drafted Hooker in the third round in 2023 after he threw for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and five interceptions during his two seasons at Tennessee,” Huber wrote. “In five college seasons, he added 2,079 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. He was 6-of-9 in three appearances for the Lions in 2024. This preseason, he was 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) for 89 yards.”

Those numbers describe a dual-threat quarterback whose college production and limited NFL flashes still suggest untapped potential even as he prepares to play the coming season at age 28.

From a Packers standpoint, the fit is worth examining closely. Matt LaFleur’s offense has already shown it can extract value from mobile quarterbacks who arrive with something to prove. Malik Willis arrived from Tennessee two years ago, thrived in Green Bay’s scheme, and later signed a sizable deal elsewhere.

Hooker possesses similar athletic traits and a comparable need for a coaching staff willing to refine his game rather than discard it after a handful of appearances.

A landing spot in Green Bay would give him a chance to absorb the playbook behind Love while competing for snaps that could eventually position him as the primary backup once Taylor’s age becomes a larger factor.

The same logic applies to Will Levis, another recent Titans castoff with a strong arm and the kind of improvisational ability LaFleur has previously rewarded.

A reunion with Sean Clifford or a look at recently released Kyle Trask remain possibilities as well. Any of those additions would give the Packers a developmental piece with a runway toward the 2027 backup job and, potentially, a starting opportunity somewhere else after that.

For Green Bay the calculation is straightforward. Love is the present and near future. Taylor provides short-term insurance. The third quarterback is both insurance and an investment.

Hooker’s college production, modest NFL sample, and remaining physical tools make him one of the more interesting names available.

Whether the Packers pursue him or another option, the next move at the position will say as much about how they view their own system as it does about the player they choose.