Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi made a bold NFL trade deadline day deal. The Titans sent safety Amani Hooker (and a fifth-round pick) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a second-round selection. Borgonzi now possesses another premium draft pick to continue rebuilding the roster with.
Hooker's maturity, leadership, and playmaking ability will be sorely missed. The former Iowa standout already has a career-high (tied) five interceptions in just eight appearances this season. He'll bring real ball-hawking ability to the Bills' secondary.
We've identified five winners and losers from the Titans' deadline deal that sent Hooker to Buffalo.
2 winners (and 3 losers) from the Tennessee Titans' Amani Hooker trade with the Buffalo Bills
Loser: HC Robert Saleh
The Titans hired Robert Saleh as head coach and allowed him to oversee the defense. In roughly two weeks, they traded away his two best playmakers in Jeffery Simmons and Hooker. The Titans are primed to rebuild the entire roster, defense included, but they have made Saleh's job increasingly difficult in recent weeks.
Winner: GM Mike Borgonzi
Borgonzi craved draft capital to rebuild this losing roster. He's now equipped with four first-and-second-round picks in 2027, and an additional two first-round selections in 2028 (and all of his third-rounders). Borgonzi possesses the draft capital of his dreams to repair the roster totally in his vision. It's realistic to envision the Titans possessing five top-65 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Loser: S Kevin Winston Jr.
Sophomore safety Kevin Winston Jr. stepped into a full-time starting role this campaign. He'll miss having Hooker's skills and football IQ to rely on. Winston has been good, but unspectacular this year. Without Hooker by his side, the former Penn State standout will be tasked with stepping up and leading this safety room into the future. That's a lot of responsibility for a second-year defender who's still improving.
Winner: S Tony Adams
Hooker's departure obviously creates a hole in the starting lineup opposite Winston. It will be filled by Tony Adams, who had already played meaningful snaps this season. Adams previously played for Coach Saleh, which brought him to Tennessee on a one-year contract in free agency. He'll now receive a bigger opportunity to earn another contract with the Titans.
Loser: Titans defense
This Titans defense missed Jeffery Simmons sorely. In their first outing without him, they allowed the Cincinnati Bengals to score 43 points and accumulate 510 yards of offense. Hooker was the defense's best remaining playmaker, proven by his five interceptions this season. This defense was struggling despite Hooker's heroics, and his departure makes them significantly worse.
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