Panthers' under-the-radar QB signing earns positive grade from analyst

One thing was made abundantly clear in the preseason: the Carolina Panthers don't have a good backup QB situation. Andy Dalton was pretty bad and got hurt. Jack Plummer was downright awful, and the Panthers cut him. Bryce Perkins didn't amount to anything, either.

For now, the roster consists solely of Bryce Young and Dalton. If either goes down, the Panthers will have to resort to the practice squad, which now has Hendon Hooker on it. That move might've flown under the radar, but it's shaping up to be a sneakily smart transaction, at least according to one insider.

Panthers nab Hendon Hooker, earn positive grade

Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox thinks the Panthers "may or may not have" their guy at quarterback in Bryce Young, which at this point is obviously not the case. Regardless, the move to sign Hendon Hooker is smart at this time.

"While Hooker never developed into a promising backup in Detroit, the 2023 third-round pick still has some enticing potential," Knox wrote. "For a franchise that may or may not have its franchise quarterback in Bryce Young, adding Hooker as a developmental prospect is a sensible low-risk move."

The insider gave the move a B-, a solid grade for the Panthers. They made a ton of moves over the last few days, including cutting Hunter Renfrow and trading Adam Thielen. Those moves got all the headlines, but this one might've been the smartest.

Dalton is old and got hurt, plus he did not look very good in his limited preseason action. He's the only backup on the roster, though. If Young does down, the offense is totally destroyed, as he is clearly the best option by a wide margin. But if that happens, the Panthers do need a third QB, and maybe someone who could be better than Dalton.

If Hooker was better than Dalton, he probably wouldn't have been cut by the Detroit Lions, but he has some upside and could eventually be better, so it was a smart, low-risk move that can only ever benefit the Panthers if things work out that way.

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