Tennessee's beloved QB returns! Hooker joins the Titans, adding a compelling chapter to the team's evolving quarterback landscape.
Fans of the Tennessee Titans and Tennessee Volunteers rejoiced on Wednesday.
After a storied career at quarterback in Knoxville, Hendon Hooker is finally back in the Volunteer State. He is signing with the Titans, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Vols fans know Hooker well.
He helped snap Tennessee's 15-game losing streak to the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2022. The Volunteers won that game 52-49 on a game-winning field goal from Chase McGrath.
Hooker had 385 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception that game. Even though he was with the program for just two seasons, he finished eighth at Tennessee for all-time career passing yards (6,080).
Although he finished fifth in Heisman voting, the 2022 season didn't have a happy ending for Hooker.
Late in the regular season, he suffered a torn ACL against South Carolina, which would impact his draft stock. He was eventually taken in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
He didn't see the field much with the Lions, considering Jared Goff had already cemented himself as the starter. His NFL debut was in Week 6 of the 2024 season, during a 47-9 blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys.
In August of 2025, Hooker was waived by the Lions and signed to the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. He would get released in November of that year and signed by the New York Jets to their practice squad in December.
Even though Hooker never played for Robert Saleh at the Jets, the Titans have signed another player with ties to the franchise.
This adds an interesting wrinkle to the Titans' quarterback room.
Saleh spoke at the NFL Owners Meetings and recently stated that he wasn't ready to close the door on Will Levis, whose future with the franchise is uncertain after the team also signed backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Levis sat behind Ryan Tannehill as a rookie before being called to action in Week 8 of the 2023 season against the Atlanta Falcons. He threw for 238 passing yards and four touchdowns, winning the starting job.
Levis started the next seven games before a foot injury in Week 17 ruled him out for the rest of the season. He began the 2024 season as the starter, but couldn't be consistent enough, and Mason Rudolph saw time under center as a result.
It was later revealed that Levis had played through an AC Joint injury in 2024 and missed the entire 2025 season due to shoulder surgery to repair it.
Now Hooker has been added to the mix, making things even more interesting as the team now has four quarterbacks on the roster. Something to watch will be how the team handles the backup quarterback competition with this many on the roster.
Last season, the Titans just had Cam Ward and Brandon Allen on the active roster. We'll have to see if Tennessee moves any of these players to the practice squad.
Hooker has been wanted by Titans and Vols fans alike for quite some time now. He's finally heading back home to the state that showed him so much love in college.