Jets sign intriguing former Day 2 QB draft pick with Aaron Glenn ties

The New York Jets continue to shuffle their quarterback room as the team enters the final stretch of the 2025 season, adding an intriguing name to their practice squad on Thursday.

The Jets announced that they had signed former Detroit Lions third-round pick Hendon Hooker to their practice squad this week, just days after the team released the recently re-signed Adrian Martinez.

Hooker joins a Jets quarterback room that also features undrafted rookie Brady Cook, veteran Tyrod Taylor, and 2025 Week 1 starter Justin Fields. It's a quarterback room that has undergone some changes this season, and Hooker is just the latest shakeup.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced on Wednesday that Cook will remain the starter in Week 16 against the New Orleans Saints, and the assumption is that he will retain that role moving forward. One of Taylor or Fields, who both returned to practice this week, is expected to serve as his backup.

So, where does Hooker fit in? Is he simply a late-season developmental stash? Does he actually have a future with the organization?

Hendon Hooker gives the Jets another young developmental quarterback option

A third-round pick of the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, Hooker was a superstar at the University of Tennessee, finishing his two-year stint as a starter with a whopping 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions across 22 starts.

Hooker was making a strong case to be one of the top quarterbacks in that year's draft class before an untimely torn ACL suffered late in the season caused him to fall to Day 2. The injury was so significant that it sidelined the North Carolina native for his entire rookie season.

Hooker returned in 2024 and spent the season as Jared Goff’s primary backup, appearing in three games and completing 6-of-9 passes. However, the Lions brought in veteran Kyle Allen to compete for the QB2 job this past summer, and Hooker ultimately lost the battle and was waived as part of final roster cuts.

The Carolina Panthers signed him to their practice squad shortly thereafter, where he remained until being released in early November. Now, Hooker is getting another NFL opportunity, reuniting with both Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, whom he previously worked with in Detroit.

The Jets are likely to stick with Cook for the remainder of the season, provided the undrafted rookie doesn't completely implode. The safe money is on Taylor serving as his backup if he's healthy — there's a strong possibility that Fields isn't active for another game this season.

Hooker is essentially being brought in as a developmental QB3 on the practice squad, with Cook as the starter, Taylor as the backup, and Fields likely becoming a non-factor. He’s also familiar with many of the Jets’ offensive principles due to his prior work with Engstrand, which should ease the transition.

In all likelihood, Hooker won’t see the field this season, but the Jets could opt to sign him to a futures deal and allow him to compete for the third-string job next summer. Either way, it’s an intriguing, low-risk pickup for the Jets at this stage of the season.