Former Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker is expected to join the Carolina Panthers practice squad, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Hooker spent the past two seasons with the Lions but was waived at Tuesday’s roster deadline after losing the backup quarterback battle to Kyle Allen.
The 2023 third-round pick out of Tennessee cleared waivers Wednesday and was free to sign with any team.
Lions coach Dan Campbell suggested Hooker might benefit from a change of scenery after the Lions’ preseason loss to the Houston Texans last week. Hooker completed 22 of 40 passes this preseason for 187 yards but lost two fumbles and threw three interceptions. He led the Lions on one scoring drive in 20 possessions this preseason.
“It’s always going to be how much development do you believe there is,” Campbell said. “Because look, we’re talking about Hooker right now. So how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes does the player need a change of scenery? What about our own depth in other areas? I mentioned this the other day, relative to that – all right, maybe there is room to grow. OK, well, is that worth it for the depth we need at O-Line, D-Line, receiver, DB? And so those are all things you got to weigh.”