He may have been let go, but there’s no bitterness here. An ex-Lions QB, Hendon Hooker, just shared how he really feels about Dan Campbell, and it might surprise fans.

While speaking with Fansided and the Jet Press in late February, Hooker spoke from the heart about Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“I love Dan Campbell, man. He’s an amazing coach. He’s an amazing football mind. And he coaches with passion. He wants you to play with passion,” said Hooker.

Hooker was drafted by the Detroit Lions as a 68th overall, third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played under Campbell as the backup to QB Jared Goff until he was let go in 2025.

Hooker further clarified the energy Campbell brings to his team. There is a reason ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked Campbell as one of the best NFL coaches of the 2025 season.

“And that just becomes contagious. You can see it throughout their whole team, everyone’s playing with their hair on fire,” Hooker concluded. 

In his career, Hendon Hooker has played 3 games for the Lions, during which he has made 9 touchdown attempts, covered 62, and recorded 1 sack.

Due to his aspirations of playing more, the Lions called Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement. And eventually, Hooker was released last summer after being replaced by another quarterback, Kyle Allen.

Regarding the move by the Lions to waive Hooker, Dan Campbell said, “Hooker knows the deal, Man, this is no different. You’re out here to compete, you know… He knows it’s time to take the next step.”

This might be seen as a rough patch by the fans, but playing and managing an NFL team is more about strategy and business. 

Hooker's own comments suggest Dan Campbell had a positive impact on his development, which also meant getting criticized from time to time.

Dan Campbell Once Called Hendon Hooker Out

Hendon Hooker mentions that the head coach, Dan Campbell, was not a fan of his quarterback cadence. By his own admission, Campbell even said, "Bro, your cadence sucks." 

Hooker believes it was because he got clapped at the line of scrimmage that he was not able to use his cadence like most college quarterbacks. 

When asked about why college QBs clap on the line of scrimmage, he said, “I have no idea. The more that I think about it, the more I’m like, ‘That’s so dumb.’ Because when I was in college.”

The lack of pro-style cadence was the weak point for Hooker, which Campbell tried to rectify by putting him through situational practice. If he failed during actual matches, Campbell made Hooker work harder in practice as punishment.

“And I would try to draw them offsides. If I didn’t draw them offsides, I had to do 50 pushups…I came a long way from just having a rookie cadence to having a real cadence.” Hendon Hooker concluded.

As a young player, working under Campbell really left an impression on Hooker.

What do you think about Hooker's reaction and Campbell’s approach? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Sayantan Gayen