The Buffalo Bills pulled off a big trade to acquire Amani Hooker at the NFL trade deadline.
Buffalo acquired Hooker and a fifth-round pick for a second-round pick to bolster the safety room.
The Bills are off to a 7-1 start and will go on the road to play the New York Jets on Sunday.
Amani Hooker Plans to Make Buffalo Bills Debut Against Jets
Although Buffalo acquired Hooker on Tuesday, he said he plans to be active and playing on Sunday.
Hooker believes he can pick up Jim Leonhard’s defense quickly and said he will be on the field and making an impact against the Jets.
“I’m going to play on Sunday,” Hooker told the media on Wednesday. “I’ll be ready to go.”
Even though Hooker has no experience in Leonhard’s system, he does believe it’s just football and knows his instincts will be enough.
“At the end of the day, it’s football,” Hooker said. “Every team runs Cover 4. Every team runs Cover 2 and Cover 3. So it’s really just about terminology and what they call different things and how they play certain looks.”
Hooker is under contract through 2028, so he will be a key part of the Bills’ secondary for years to come. So, the trade to acquire him isn’t just for this year.
Hooker is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 5. This season, he’s recorded 52 tackles and 5 interceptions as he’s a ball-hawking safety who will help force some takeaways for the Bills’ defense.
Brandon Beane Expects Hooker to be a Difference-Maker
After acquiring Hooker, Bills GM Brandon Beane spoke to the media and shared some high praise for the safety.
Beane admitted he didn’t think a trade would happen at the deadline but continued to work on the Hooker deal to bolster the team’s secondary.
“A true difference maker for our team,” Beane said Tuesday about his trade wishlist. “And we would be willing to give up significant compensation. … It checked all the boxes for, in this case, Tennessee and for us.”
Beane believes Hooker is a true difference-maker on defense and will play a key role going forward.
“He’s a player that has instincts, ball skills,” Beane said. “You’re going to think I’m describing Micah Hyde with so many similarities of Iowa, taking the ball away. He’s just been a very steady player. We really liked him coming out.”
The Bills are 8.5-point favorites against the Jets.
Amani Hooker Makes Firm Stance on Role in Buffalo Bills Defense Against Jets