With their sights set on a Super Bowl title, the Buffalo Bills are adding a dynamic defensive playmaker in exchange for Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker.
The Bills announced at the NFL trade deadline Tuesday that they would send the Titans a 2027 second-round pick and also receive a 2027 fifth-round selection in exchange for acquiring Hooker. The Bills also inquired about eight-time Pro Bowl Cardinals safety Budda Baker before trading for Hooker, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reports.
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The move bolsters a defense that ranks 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. The Bills have one of the best offenses in the league led by an MVP quarterback in Josh Allen, but their pass defense has been a liability all season long.
Trading a second-round pick to acquire Hooker is expensive, but the move fills an obvious need for a Super Bowl contender.
Hooker, 28, makes a difference in the secondary. He joins the Bills tied for the league lead with five interceptions and six passes defensed. The interception tally also ties a career high in just seven games. Hooker has 17 interceptions and 45 passes defensed in his career.
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Hooker is also an accomplished defender against the run. He ranks second on the Titans this season with 52 total tackles. He plans to become an immediate starter for the Bills.
An eighth-year veteran, Hooker has played his entire NFL career for the Titans since they selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
For the Titans, they are parting ways with a longtime veteran leader and one of their best players. But Hooker is best suited to contribute to a team ready to win now, and at 1-7, the Titans aren’t that. A second-round pick is a valuable asset as they look to continue rebuilding around second-year quarterback Cam Ward.
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