Right now, veteran Nate Sudfeld and second-year signal-caller Hendon Hooker are competing for a spot on the Lions, but neither one is certain. The jury is still out on Hooker, who didn’t play at all the previous season, and Sudfeld, who has only played in six career games, didn’t look well in the first preseason game.

With that in mind, the Lions should think about adding another quarterback option, and CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin thinks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke may be a good match in a trade.

Heinicke is better suited coming off the bench after three years as the starting point guard for the Washington Commanders. However, he is suddenly an unusual match in Atlanta, where the Falcons’ first-round selection of Michael Penix Jr. has left him a distant No. 3 behind Kirk Cousins. As other clubs scramble for last-minute backup help, his experience (29 career starts) might be more useful somewhere else.

Vikings, Lions, and Buccaneers are possible fits.

Heinicke is definitely a viable option if the Lions want to improve things, as Benjamin points out, since the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins and selected Michael Penix Jr. in the same summer, making him expendable.

Heinicke has started more games than Hooker and Sudfeld combined, and when given the ball, he has shown himself to be a reliable choice. If Goff is off for an extended period of time due to an injury, he could undoubtedly keep things afloat because of the Lions’ exceptional offensive line.

The last thing the Lions want is for a season in which they have real hopes of winning the Super Bowl to be derailed by a multi-week injury to quarterback Jared Goff.

Right now, if Detroit isn’t happy with its present alternatives, it should give Heinicke, who would only cost a late-round pick in a trade, substantial consideration. On paper, Heinicke is a better option than both Hooker and Sudfeld.