- Advertisement -

In case you missed it, one of the most beloved players in Tennessee football history was chosen in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday by one of the worst franchises in professional sports, not just football.

The Detroit Lions have made a habit of turning incredible players into frustrated superstars. Receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Barry Sanders are both Hall of Famers despite ending their careers early, in part, due to growing tired of losing as members of the Lions, which have produced 11 Hall of Famers in their history but only one, Johnson, played in this century.

By comparison, the Pittsburgh Steelers have 21 former players in the NFL Hall of Fame. They are the distinct opposite of the Lions. The Steelers, who drafted another Vols’ fan favorite when they chose Joshua Dobbs in 2018, have won six Super Bowls. Dobbs has now played in the NFL for five seasons. Beginning his career with the Steelers, who are one of the best run franchises in the NFL, provided Dobbs a foundation to stay in the NFL despite not being an elite quarterback. Dobbs deserves credit for his longevity. He’s a dedicated, hard worker like Hooker. Neither deserve to be Lions.

The Detroit Lions are only one of four teams in the NFL that have never appeared in the Super Bowl, a distinction that is solely theirs among franchises that have been in existence since the Super Bowl was first played in 1967. The Lions are also the only NFC team that has never played in a Super Bowl. The best-case scenario for Hooker in Detroit is that he may be able to sneak the Lions into the playoffs one day, but even that’s a long shot.

Players like John Elway and Eli Manning have refused to fall victim to a bad franchises. Both quarterbacks flat-out refused to go where they were slotted in the draft. Sure, they took some heat at the time, but they ended up with Hall of Fame careers and multiple championships. Hooker doesn’t have as much leverage as those two, but he probably has more than you might think.

- Advertisement -

Hooker couldn’t have turned down the Lions or anyone else before NIL came into existence. No one would turn down millions of dollars despite playing for even the lowly Lions. However, Hooker has endorsement money from college and could keep getting more with events that revolve around the Vols. Hooker could make plenty of money while taking a year off to focus on his game, reclassify and go back into the draft next year.

I’m aware that this is a drastic move, but going to the Lions can be a drastically bad move for any player. The odds are Hooker won’t have success in Detroit and will end up elsewhere during his career or just get downtrodden like Johnson and Sanders and call it a career prematurely.

A year off would allow Hooker to be completely recovered from his ACL tear that he suffered against South Carolina in November. Hooker’s camp has told everyone he’ll be healthy by the beginning of this season, but another year could only help the healing process. Hooker could also find a quarterback guru to work on his footwork, which was a concern with scouts. Is former Tennessee coach David Cutcliffe available? I’m sure Hooker can get his number. Hooker isn’t expected to play extensively this season. Why not wait a year?

There are two things that would work against Hooker and perhaps a third that’s less tangible. First, Hooker’s age would be a bigger issue than it was before this year’s draft. He’ll be 26-years-old in January. However, it’s not as if he played four years of college football as a starter. Hooker also will take care of his body. A team could take Hooker in the 2024 NFL Draft and still get 10 or more great years from him. Frankly, I never understood why Hooker’s age was an issue anyway.

The other thing that would work against Hooker would be next year’s quarterback class, which is projected to be stellar. There would be more competition for Hooker to get picked. However, I’d rather be chosen in the sixth round by the Steelers than the third round by the Lions. Sure, that’s less money on the front end, but Hooker will be a long-term success in the NFL as long as he’s healthy – and doesn’t play for the Lions. He’ll make up any money he might lose and be happier doing it, but, again, Hooker isn’t desperate for the funds like the thousands of players chosen before him in the draft.

Making such a bold move could also turn some NFL teams against him if he were to re-enter the draft next season. In fact, it could turn the whole NFL against him. It’s not as if the NFL hasn’t been justifiably accused of colluding against a player. For different reasons, quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson come to mind.

Ask Matthew Stafford about a bold stance of sitting out a season to avoid the Lions. He played 12 seasons in Detroit but was never considered elite until he managed to get traded to the Los Angeles Rams where he won a Super Bowl and likely upped his resume to Hall of Fame worthy. Had Stafford gone to a great NFL franchise, he may have been one of the best quarterbacks of his generation. We’ll never know.

Simply put, Hooker is too good for the Lions. If any rookie can lead Detroit from the doldrums, it’s Hooker. His character, leadership and class worked wonders at Tennessee. It could work wonders for the Lions, but it probably won’t – and he doesn’t have to live with that.

- Advertisement -