Typically, breaking news in the NFL dies down following the first week of free agency until the NFL draft. That is why when news about a starting quarterback potentially missing the whole season broke last Friday, everyone was surprised. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for the 2025 season.
As a result of Carr’s injury, the Saints are left searching for a starting quarterback in a barren market. Although many people’s first thought when they saw this news was that New Orleans would draft Shedeur Sanders, there is no guarantee he will fall to No. 9 overall. Fortunately for the Saints, the Detroit Lions have a quarterback they may be looking to move on from.
Lions Send Hendon Hooker to the Saints in Surprise Projected Trade
In this projected trade, the Lions send quarterback Hendon Hooker and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Saints for a 2025 third-rounder (No. 93) and a 2026 fifth-rounder. That’d represent a victory for Detroit, who has seemingly soured on Hooker.
When the Lions drafted Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, many thought he could be the successor to Jared Goff. While he entered the league, still recovering from an ACL tear, Hooker had potential.
Even though he was one of the oldest rookies in his draft at 25 years old, he was coming off back-to-back good seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers. In 2021 and 2022, Hooker completed 68% (435/632) of his passes for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The 27-year-old saw his first NFL action during the 2024 preseason. In three appearances, Hooker completed 65.0% of his passes for 300 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Despite those numbers being decent, Detroit brought in Kyle Allen for competition this offseason. Given Allen’s experience, it’s hard to see Hooker beating him out.
Therefore, trading him to the Saints and getting something in return would be considered a win. For New Orleans, acquiring Hooker would mean they wouldn’t have to rely on Spencer Rattler again. Last year, Rattler completed 57% (130/228) of his passes for 1,317, four touchdowns, and five interceptions while going 0-6 in six starts.
Though there’s no guarantee that Hooker will be better than Rattler, this trade is a pretty low risk on both sides. Regardless of Hooker being traded, it will be interesting to see if the 27-year-old stay with Detroit for the 2025 season.