Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker made the Detroit Lions' initial 53-man roster this week.
Hooker and starter Jared Goff are the only two quarterbacks on the Lions' initial 53-man roster after veteran Nate Sudfeld was released on Tuesday.
The release of Sudfeld led to numerous media outlets crowning Hooker as the winner of the the battle for the Lions' No. 2 quarterback job.
And while that could end up being the case, it's not a certainty quite yet.
The initial 53-man roster isn't necessarily the roster that NFL teams will open the season with. There's still a little over a week until the 2024 season gets underway and there will be plenty of roster moves over the next week. Teams often get creative with their roster cuts in order to give themselves some options.
When it comes to Detroit's quarterback situation, one option the team has is to simply re-sign Sudfeld once the rest of the roster shakes out. Sudfeld is an NFL veteran which means he's not subject to waivers. It's entirely possible that the Lions are planning to bring Sudfeld back (either on the active roster or on the practice squad) before the start of the regular season (releasing Sudfeld with the intention of re-signing him would essentially be a roster cutdown loophole...Detroit doesn't have that option with Hooker, who would be exposed to waivers in the same situation).
Of course, it's also possible that Hooker's inclusion on the initial 53-man roster signals that he did win the No. 2 quarterback job. Sudfeld, however, is a player that is well-liked by the Lions. And even though he was outplayed by Hooker during the preseason, Sudfeld was reportedly the more consistent player during training camp.
From The Athletic : We’ll start with Nate Sudfeld, a polarizing player. The average fan isn’t around for every day of training camp, but Sudfeld was the more consistent backup QB for the majority of the spring and summer. The coaching staff loves Sudfeld’s IQ, experience and veteran status. He’s a calming presence in a room that would otherwise consist of Goff and Hooker — a second-year QB still trying to navigate life in the NFL.
I would bet on Sudfeld being back on the Lions' roster (unless he receives a better opportunity elsewhere). Now, Hooker could still be the No. 2 quarterback in that situation. And it's not that I think that Hooker won't be the No. 2 quarterback for the Lions in 2024. I just think it's important to note that Tuesday's final cutdown news isn't a final indication of how the Lions' roster will look when they open the season against the Los Angeles Rams on September 8.
Related: South Carolina's Shane Beamer explains how playing Old Dominion in season-opener will be like playing against Tennessee
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