Entering the 2023 NFL Draft, it was well known the Tennessee Titans were going to target a mid-round quarterback. Local fans begged it would be Hendon Hooker, who was coming off an illustrious campaign with the Volunteers. The Titans ultimately decided to go in a different direction.
Then-general manager Ran Carthon traded up to No. 33 overall, the first selection of the second round, to select Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. It rubbed salt in the wound of Vols fans who desperately wanted the Titans to draft Hooker. Not only wasn't it Hooker, it was Levis, the quarterback of their rival Wildcats.
It mattered little, as neither quarterback has developed into a starter. The Titans have since drafted Cam Ward at No. 1 overall. On Wednesday, Hooker signed a one-year contract with the Titans, pleasing portions of the fanbase who hoped they'd draft him in 2023.
Titans sign local legend QB Hendon Hooker to one-year contract
The Titans signed Hooker, per Jordan Schultz. He joins a crowded QB room that already features Ward, Levis, and veteran backup Mitchell Trubisky. It may be too-little-too-late for Volunteers fans who hoped to see Hooker thrive in Tennessee. Reality has since set in.
Hooker was drafted at 68th overall by the Detroit Lions, roughly 35 picks after the Titans took Levis. Despite the early third-round designation, Hooker never quite found his footing in Detroit, losing backup quarterback competitions. He was waived prior to his third season and has since bounced around with the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets.
Assuming Hooker remains on the roster when the Titans begin their voluntary portions of the offseason, he projects to be the fourth quarterback, barring any changes. That essentially makes him a training camp arm. The Hooker-Levis debate raged for several months following the 2023 NFL Draft. There proved to be no real winner, making it somewhat ironic that they've simultaneously in Tennessee together.