Bills safety Amani Hooker set to play vs. Jets in Week 10, but Buffalo still deciding his exact role

The Buffalo Bills plan to have new safety Amani Hooker available for their Week 10 game at the New York Jets, according to the team. Buffalo acquired Hooker from the Tennessee Titans at the trade deadline, and he is in the rotation for this weekend’s matchup.

Bills head coach Joe Brady said Hooker has been “extremely impressive” and that the team will evaluate the practice tape from the previous week before deciding how much he plays on Sunday. Brady also emphasized they do not want to put Hooker in a role that is unfair to him or the team on such short notice.

After Friday practice, Hooker indicated he felt ready to go. He said he received full-speed reps, felt good on the field, and believes he is in a good spot to play.

Brady and Hooker both pointed to how quickly Hooker has been adjusting to Buffalo’s system. Brady said Hooker has acclimated fast enough for the team to be confident about his progress, and Hooker described the learning focus as terminology and understanding the small tools used in Buffalo’s defensive calls.

Hooker also noted that facing the Jets was not entirely new for him, since the Titans played New York in Week 1 earlier in the season. For Hooker, the key this week is translating Buffalo’s playbook to live preparation.