Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics.
VFL Hendon Hooker didn’t survive NFL cut day on Sunday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hooker was one of the notable players that the Tennessee Titans waived over the weekend.
Hooker was one of multiple Tennessee players waived by their teams on Sunday, including VFL wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (New York Giants) and VFL quarterback Joey Aguilar (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Hooker was signed by the Titans in April to join a room that already featured former No. 1 pick Cam Ward, former No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky, and former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. All four signal-callers played during the preseason, but the Titans appear to be sticking with just two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Hooker and Levis were both reportedly waived on Sunday.
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The North Carolina native was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He did not play during his rookie season in 2023 while recovering from a knee injury that was suffered late in the Vols’ 2022 season. Hooker saw limited play time with the Lions in 2024 before being waived by the Lions right before the 2025 season.
Hooker bounced around in the league from there, spending a bit of time on the Panthers and Jets’ practice squads. He had a quick stint with the Jets’ active roster at the very end of the 2025 season.
Hooker played in all three of the Titans’ preseason games this month, going 7-of-10 for 72 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 27 yards on five carries.
It’s unfortunate news for the former Tennessee Football legend, who kicked off Josh Heupel’s UT tenure with a bang during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Hooker helped lead the Volunteers to a 9-1 record during the 2022 season with wins over Florida and Alabama before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Perhaps Hooker will find his way onto another practice squad in the near future.
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