Lions QB Hendon Hooker says he’s taking ‘mental reps’ in Detroit’s rookie minicamp

/ 05/13/2023

After being selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round, quarterback Hendon Hooker was present in the team’s rookie minicamp on Saturday. However, he was not a full participant.

Hooker did not put a timetable on his return to the field but was optimistic about his progress from a torn ACL in his left knee on Nov. 19, 2022.

“Entering this first year is the same motto, same mentality I’ve had all my life, let’s get better every day,” Hooker said, via ESPN. “You’ll never stay the same, you either get better or you get worse, and I don’t wanna have any decline in my game so I’m continuing to work my tail off, day-to-day, mental reps, taking reps behind the quarterbacks that are in and just playing the game in my mind until I can actually get out there but I’m still preparing and I’m hungry. I’m ready to compete.”

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Earlier this week, head coach Dan Campbell said he didn’t expect the rookie QB to play for “a long time.”

“Really, this is a redshirt year for him,” Campbell told Chris Long on the Green Light Podcast. “He’s got to get this leg right first and then he’ll learn under Jared (Goff), and then let’s see what happens. If he can eventually become your two or maybe down the road, later on, it’s more than that, but it’s going to be a long time.”

In his last two college seasons with Tennessee, Hooker threw for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions in 24 games.

A backup to Goff entering the 2023 season, Hooker and the Lions are taking his recovery process as a precaution. Hooker was throwing the ball in Saturday’s practice, but is aware that the goal is to remain steady on his road to recovery.

“Honestly, I would like to be ready tomorrow, if I could. But, I’m taking it day-by-day,” Hooker said. “When my leg is 100 percent healed and everything else is moving fluently, and working together, I’ll be ready to go.”

Detroit’s mandatory minicamp starts on June 6.

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