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Former Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker warming up during a mandatory minicamp practice session.
The New York Jets have added some quarterback insurance.
Ahead of the Week 17 New England Patriots game, the Jets announced that they have elevated Hendon Hooker from the practice squad. He will revert to the P-Squad on Monday, December 29.
That leaves the Jets with three quarterbacks on the roster heading into the Pats game. Brady Cook will be getting his third straight start of his NFL career. Tyrod Taylor was projected to be the backup to Cook. However, this Hooker elevation adds a wrinkle to that dynamic.
Taylor’s Status Is Now Very Much up in the Air
The veteran backup quarterback was a limited participant in practice the first two days of this week because of injuries to his knee and groin. However, on Friday, he missed practice for what the team deemed “personal” reasons.
Brian Costello of the New York Post called the Jets’ decision to elevate Hooker “interesting.”
ESPN’s Rich Cimini connected the dots on social media, pointing to the Hooker elevation and Taylor’s absence from practice on Friday.
Jets roster moves: They elevated QB Hendon Hooker from the practice squad, one day after Tyrod Taylor missed practice due to a personal reason. Also signed WR Quentin Skinner, T Marquis Hayes and DB Tre Brown to the active roster. #Jets
Hooker Could Make His Jets Debut Over the Weekend
The initial reason the Jets signed Hooker was just in case of an emergency, according to head coach Aaron Glenn.
Cook was the starter, but both of his veteran backups were dealing with a variety of ailments. Justin Fields is no longer an option after being placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a knee issue.
With Taylor’s status murky, Hooker could make his Jets debut. Cook is the starter, but Hooker has yet to be an active member of the Jets roster since signing. If Taylor is unable to go, Hooker would serve as the QB2 to Cook.
In one sense, that would be a green and white debut in uniform. However, he could have a double-decker debut if the Jets call his name during the game.
Candidly, Cook has struggled in his appearances so far this season. He has thrown six interceptions and has fumbled three times.
If those struggles continue against the Patriots’ defense, the Jets could yank him for Hooker.
Another Mystery Box at Quarterback for the Jets
Hooker entered the league as the No. 68 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. He served as a backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions for the first two and a half years of his career.
This offseason, he was dumped ahead of final roster cuts and eventually landed on the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
In his very brief NFL career to date, Hooker has thrown a grand total of nine passes. He hasn’t had an opportunity to strut his stuff at this level.
If things are going poorly, it wouldn’t hurt if the Jets decided to kick the can to see what they have there. At this point, what do the Jets have to lose?
The chances that a 27-year-old random day two pick suddenly is lightning in a bottle at the QB position feel unlikely for the Jets. But the chances are certainly greater than zero.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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