Thursday is a big day for former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
The Detroit Lions will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL Hall of Fame preseason game at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. With no reason to start Jared Goff this early in the preseason, Hendon Hooker will have his chance to orchestrate the Lions’ offensive game plan against the Chargers from Canton, OH.
According to Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman, Hooker has been entrenched in a quarterback battle with Kyle Allen for the second-string spot behind Goff. Allen has been a backup NFL journeyman during his career, playing with five different teams in the last seven years. Detroit will be his sixth team in his first eight years and marks his fourth straight year on a new team.
Pat McAfee reports on Thursday that Allen will be the starting quarterback for Thursday’s game.
According to source(s) Kyle Allen will be getting the start for the Detroit Lions tonight..
We will be seeing Hendon Hooker at some point#PMSLive #OnePride pic.twitter.com/cO8p6jVYI1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 31, 2025
While there’s no guarantee about who will win the backup battle, Hooker’s experience with the Detroit system could give him an edge when things play out. But he’ll have to prove it on the field during the preseason, starting in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game against Los Angeles.
The 27-year-old quarterback has been drawing solid reviews this offseason at training camp.
“Look, Hooker knows the deal, man,” Detroit HC Dan Campbell said earlier in July. “You’re out here to compete. We gave him some things to do while he was home. Talking about working on some of the urgency, the footwork, certainly continued training. Look, it’s only one day but, man, I liked what I saw out there yesterday. There’s an urgency. I thought his footwork was on. I thought he was spitting the plays out.”
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While Thursday represents just the first game of the preseason slate, there’s no downplaying how big of a season this is for the former Vol. He’s entering his third season on his rookie contract and one of those was spent sidelined as he recovered from his ACL injury suffered at Tennessee. Hooker is already an older quarterback, and his time to make an impact before potentially being written off is winding down. That being said, though, he could show exactly why he deserves to stay in the league in some capacity with a good showing here in the preseason and as Goff’s backup this season.
Hooker’s not just battling against Kyle Allen this preseason. He’s also battling against the doubters and the naysayers who claim that he’s too old and too inexperienced to be worth a roster spot. Thursday’s Hall of Fame game could be the start of a new trajectory in his NFL career if things go well.
Watch Hendon Hooker’s first 2025 preseason game on Thursday night as the Detroit Lions battle the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL Hall of Fame game at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider online and on X, as we’ll be bringing you his best highlights and moments from the game.
