Steelers Now
Former Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker tried out with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this week, but he is instead signing elsewhere.
Hooker tried out with the Steelers on Tuesday, but will instead sign with the New York Jets’ practice squad, the team announced on Thursday.
The Steelers had been taking a look at Hooker ahead of their road matchup with the Detroit Lions, who drafted Hooker in 2023 coming out of Tennessee. The Lions chose Hooker, now 27, in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was still recovering from a torn ACL when he was selected, signaling that the choice was made with the future in mind.
Hooker spent the first two seasons of his career as a backup for Jared Goff, appearing in just three games. Former Steelers passer Kyle Allen beat Hooker out to be Goff’s understudy during this past preseason. After his release by the Lions, Hooker had a stay with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad, but was released last month.
Hooker played four years of his college ball at Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee. Over 24 games with Josh Heupel’s Volunteers, Hooker passed for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led the SEC in completion percentage in 2022 and was in the running for the Heisman Trophy before suffering his knee injury.
The Steelers could have been looking at Hooker because of his familiarity with their opponent this week, but also could have been looking at him in order to sign him to a future contract for the 2026 season, as they also tried out Jack Plummer, a player with a tie to the Lions.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former 3rd-Round QB Signs Elsewhere after Tryout with Steelers
