Lions free agency preview: Detroit should feel confident to skip QB market

Breakdown: It’s easy to question the team’s belief in Hendon Hooker after he was passed on the depth chart for the postseason. Teddy Bridgewater was coaching high school football the previous month, then throwing passes and taking snaps in the divisional round with Hooker on the sideline, so it’s fair to raise an eyebrow for a fleeting moment.

Heck, this beat writer forced himself into an introspective period about the debate and picked some minds at the NFL combine. And I’m going to take the Lions at their word when they say the Bridgewater move was about improving their locker room heading into the postseason and ensuring they had a bankable Plan B and C if disaster were to strike while chasing a title.

Hooker has only one full offseason and season under his belt after recovering from an ACL injury suffered in college. The Lions traded up to take him in the third round in 2023, and with another important offseason on the horizon, they should move forward with Hooker as Jared Goff’s primary backup.

Also, Jake Fromm impressed enough to last the full year on the practice squad and then land a reserve/futures deal to stick around. Goff is entrenched as the team’s starter, and Hooker deserves a chance to prove himself. So, the Lions are likely sitting out the free-agent quarterback market. But we’ll still evaluate some potential options just because they have surprised us before with their handling of the position behind Goff.

Our list of potential Lions fits features a ton of young options, former high draft picks, and a couple of intriguing veterans. The lone player from the “top options” worth a mention is Jameis Winston. The journeyman quarterback worked with Lions head coach Dan Campbell while in New Orleans for a year, and that type of familiarity has carried weight in the past. Still, that would be a shocking move for both the player and team, so let’s move along.

New offensive coordinator John Morton spent last season with Zach Wilson while with the Denver Broncos. If the Lions are looking for someone to push Hooker this offseason, then someone like Wilson might make sense if the young quarterback’s market dries up and he’s without options.

The most realistic names are Teddy Bridgewater, Nick Mullens, and even Trey Lance. Bridgewater sounded content going back to coaching high school football after returning to the NFL, with a potential return to action down the stretch, much like he did last year. It’s clear that if he’s interested in continuing his playing career, Detroit is where he prefers to do it.

Mullens makes the list based on his familiarity inside the NFC North and standing that wouldn’t put heat or bring headlines to Hooker’s status. The former Vikings and 49ers quarterback has been productive in the league before, getting chances to start and putting up some gaudy numbers through too many turnovers.

The 29-year-old has started 20 games in seven seasons, throwing for 34 touchdowns and 31 interceptions with 6,429 yards. In two starts against the Lions in 2023, Mullens threw for 807 yards with four scores and six picks.

Lance is the dart throw option. The former top-three pick has sparingly played, from high school to college to the NFL. Lance struggled to get on the field even after Dak Prescott went down in Dallas last season, which is not a great indicator of where he’s at in his development.

Since going at Pick 3 in 2021, Lance has started five games, throwing only 143 passes, with five touchdowns and four interceptions. The traits and elements of the unknown are intriguing. He wouldn’t compete with Hooker for QB2 based on all available evidence, but he could give the Lions another developmental option to work with deep on their bench.

Mullens makes the list based on his familiarity inside the NFC North and standing that wouldn’t put heat or bring headlines to Hooker’s status. The former Vikings and 49ers quarterback has been productive in the league before, getting chances to start and putting up some gaudy numbers through too many turnovers.

The 29-year-old has started 20 games in seven seasons, throwing for 34 touchdowns and 31 interceptions with 6,429 yards. In two starts against the Lions in 2023, Mullens threw for 807 yards with four scores and six picks.

Lance is the dart throw option. The former top-three pick has sparingly played, from high school to college to the NFL. Lance struggled to get on the field even after Dak Prescott went down in Dallas last season, which is not a great indicator of where he’s at in his development.

Since going at Pick 3 in 2021, Lance has started five games, throwing only 143 passes, with five touchdowns and four interceptions. The traits and elements of the unknown are intriguing. He wouldn’t compete with Hooker for QB2 based on all available evidence, but he could give the Lions another developmental option to work with deep on their bench.

Between high school and college, Lance started only 26 games, so the experience isn’t there at any level.

With all that said, don’t be surprised to sit back and watch the Lions pass on all of these options. That seems like the likeliest and smartest path forward, with Goff entrenched as the starting quarterback and Hooker having two years left on his rookie deal.

They should find a couple of priority free agents after the draft they like, and bring one in with Hooker and Fromm for the offseason, and feel good about it.