Jared Goff is the Detroit Lions’ future at quarterback, which means Hendon Hooker probably is not.

The Lions finalized a four-year, $212 million extension with Goff on Monday that ties him to the team through the 2028 season.

And while full details of the contract are not yet known — Sports Illustrated reported the deal is structured as a three-year extension with a $57 million option in 2028 — the likelihood is that the soon-to-be-30-year-old still will be the Lions’ starter when Hooker’s contract expires following the 2026 season.

That’s not a bad thing.

Goff has played remarkably well over the past season-and-a-half and is as big a reason as any why the Lions will be a popular pick to win the Super Bowl this fall. He’s cut down on his turnovers, thrived in the red zone and is clearly one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC.

Goff earned his new deal and the Lions were right to reward him by making him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.

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Hooker’s long-term future is less certain, though he remains a valuable asset for the time being in Detroit.

The Lions spent a third-round pick on Hooker last spring knowing the 2023 season would be a redshirt year. Hooker tore his ACL in November of 2022 during his final season at Tennessee and spent most of last year on the physically unable to perform list.

He got a sprinkle of practice reps upon his return, but never played in a game and never had much chance to show the Lions his worth.

“I would say it’s hard (to know what we have in him) because he was coming off the injury, he didn’t get to play,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the NFL combine earlier this year. “The best I can tell you is there’s growth. We saw growth. And that’s encouraging. That’s all we can ask at this point, so I don’t think we entirely know what he is yet. There’s not enough evidence. But I know this, we saw progress and that’s what we’re looking for.”

In the short term, Hooker should serve as Goff’s primary backup this fall and get a ton of playing time in the preseason.

Goff did not play a snap in exhibition games last year and there’s no reason to believe that will change with the Lions banking on at least one and maybe two sets of joint practices this summer. He and the offense will be ready for Week 1, while Hooker needs as many live reps as possible to be ready for a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation.

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At 26 years old, Hooker is no spring chicken. The Lions’ top four offensive weapons — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams are all younger. And he’ll be 29 – the same age Goff is now — when his rookie contract expires.

But he has a chance in the coming seasons to set both himself and the Lions up for a future payoff.

If Hooker plays well while learning under Goff and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in whatever limited reps he gets this season, the Lions will find themselves with something in between one of the best quarterback situations in the NFL and a valuable trade commodity at the league’s most important position.

The New England Patriots proved during their dynasty years how in-demand backup quarterbacks can be. They traded Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round pick, Jacoby Brissett for a No. 3-caliber receiver and Matt Cassel (plus Mike Vrabel) for the 34th pick in the draft. The Lions are a long way from realizing that type of return on their Hooker investment, but still were wise to take Hooker as an insurance policy last year.

As for Hooker, landing in Detroit still might be the best thing for his career.

He sat and watched last year. He’ll practice and develop this year. And if he’s needed in games, he’ll be surrounded by the offensive talent he’ll need to shine.

Hooker’s ultimate future is somewhere other than Detroit, but for the time being, he and the Lions remain a good match.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Jared Goff's extension means for Detroit Lions QB Hendon Hooker