Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the team Decision to sign Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t commenting on her feelings toward backup quarterback Hendon Hooker, but one would be hard-pressed to blame Hooker for thinking otherwise.

Hooker has spent the entire season supporting Jared Goff, and the move to bring Bridgewater back after the veteran spent the season coaching at the high school could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the 2023 third-round pick ahead of the postseason. However, Hooker showed no signs of such an attitude on Thursday.

Hooker said he always expected Bridgewater to be back on the team, calling Bridgewater his mentor because “every question I have about life, this game of football or being a professional always seems to come back to Teddy.” .” Hooker also said he didn’t get a chance to prove himself alongside another quarterback.

“In all the years I’ve played football, I’ve always competed in a quarterback competition,” Hooker said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “So it’s the nature of the business. Only Bring your game.”

The Lions are hoping that Jared Goff is the only quarterback they need to play meaningful snaps the rest of the game, but the hope is that having both options puts them in the best possible position when it comes to this year’s injury threat extends to the quarterback position.