In an interview with 97.1 The Ticket following the 2022 season, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes discussed the team’s backup quarterback issue (source: SI.com).
“Yes, we waited until the last minute to decide what we were going to do at number two (quarterback) going into this past year,” Holmes remarked. “We need to resolve that because I’ve made it clear internally that we won’t be in that situation again at the beginning of this year. We’ll work that out. I felt Nate Sudfeld did a good job with us.
He went on,
“However, I’m going to emphasize it and make sure that we have experience at that position because we’re now able to address the quarterback room beyond Jared. However, this year we’re going to prioritize it.
Let’s just say that the term “emphasis” on the No. 2 quarterback position has been interpreted in a variety of ways. After Jared Goff, 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker followed Nate Sudfeld, and Teddy Bridgewater was eventually signed. Almost by default, Hooker was chosen for the backup position last year.
Bridgewater returned to the Lions late last season after leading his old mater, a Florida high school, to a state championship.
He was then selected as the No. 2 quarterback for the playoff matchup with the Washington Commanders, surpassing Hooker in the process.
Any potential trade value that Hooker could have had has been crushed by the Lions’ attempts to express their feelings to the world. To offer him competition, they signed Kyle Allen this offseason. Both received negative OTA reviews, so training camp will be a free-for-all. Due to playing in the Hall of Fame Game, there will be a fourth preseason game, which should assist resolve the situation.
The Lions have the perfect trade target to address their backup quarterback problem.
Goff hasn’t missed a game since the 2021 campaign, and the only time he’s ever left a game because of an injury in the previous three seasons was during the playoff defeat to Washington. Therefore, it has been irrelevant who the Lions’ number two quarterback is, and it might stay that way until a strategy to replace Goff is established.
However, because Goff was hurt and the depth chart behind him hasn’t been adequately highlighted, the Lions can’t allow a season of their Super Bowl window end in a haze. Allen has more starting experience than Hooker (19 career starts), but when Goff missed time, he reminded me of Tim Boyle around 2021.
To address the Lions’ backup quarterback problem, Chris Schad of Detroit Jock City has identified Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell as a possible trade target.
In the 2023 draft, the Raiders selected O’Connell out of Purdue in the fourth round (at No. 135 overall). Over the past two seasons, he has started 19 games, scored 20 touchdowns, drew 11 interceptions, and had an 85.1 passing rating. Although it’s also reasonable to argue that the Raiders didn’t surround him with many talented players, he has occasionally displayed strong play.
O’Connell was once a clear trade candidate this winter, but it now appears that the Raiders will retain him as Geno Smith’s backup. If Cam Miller, a rookie selected in the sixth round, shows promise in the preseason and training camp,
Perhaps that song shifts.
It may happen again if the Lions have previously switched to a different backup quarterback in the late preseason and if Allen and Hooker’s competition isn’t going well. O’Connell stands out among the options to trade for if that becomes necessary because they are probably aware of him and ought to be monitoring him.
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