The Lions activated rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker on Tuesday and have waived kicker Riley Patterson to make room on the roster. Detroit opened the practice window for the QB last month.
The elevation to the active roster was no surprise, as Dan Campbell revealed on Monday that it was the team's plan to do so. Hooker will be the third quarterback, behind starter Jared Goff and backup Teddy Bridgewater.
Detroit had until Wednesday to activate Hooker to the active roster, following his 21-day return to practice window, or the rookie would have to remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Hooker tore his ACL last November while at Tennessee and has been rehabbing the injury every since.
Despite that injury, Detroit took the 25-year-old with the No. 68 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft to serve as a developmental quarterback behind Goff. In November, Hooker was able to return to practice. Campbell said that a big reason for opening his practice window is for the team to start building him up.
"Yeah, by rule we can't coach him, so that's why," Campbell said last month when asked why it's important to activate Hooker, via Lions Wire. "I mean we can't -- we can have him in meetings, but he can't be out there and going through any fundamental work. You've just got to kind of stand there. So, that's where it helps, to be able to actually do individual work with him, have him take a snap. That's why it's big. I mean it'd be nice to just do some of those things with him, but that's why you've got to get him on the roster. Otherwise, rules don't allow for him to do any of that."
With the team waiving Patterson, Michael Badgley, who made his first start of the season on Saturday, will likely have the kicking job for the rest of the season.
On Christmas Eve, the Lions will head to Minnesota to face the Vikings in an NFC North showdown.
