Bills Made a Run at Budda Baker Before Landing Amani Hooker, Per ESPN

Amani Hooker was not the Buffalo Bills’ first choice at the trade deadline. Before landing the Titans safety, the Bills made a run at Arizona’s Budda Baker, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday.

Fowler called Buffalo the most aggressive team on a slow deadline day in his Week 10 buzz file with Dan Graziano.

Week 10 buzz file: Trade deadline

-Why no BTJ, JT and DJ deals
-Cousins fallout for Vikings, Raiders
-Inside Chiefs' deal for Downs
-Why Steelers stood pat
-Bills plotted big swing
-Puka returning
-Players not dealt

With @DanGrazianoESPN https://t.co/izdzpa8HCI

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 11, 2026

The Budda Baker offer

Early on deadline day, the Bills were clearing cap space through contract restructures, and teams around the league believed Buffalo wanted impact help at safety, defensive tackle or both, according to ESPN.

Baker was the first target. Buffalo put together what one source described as a “compelling package,” Fowler reported. Arizona said no, because the Cardinals see Baker as the heart and soul of their team.

Graziano added that teams checked in on both Baker and Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat, but no deal came close. Baker was one of the two names at the top of Buffalo’s list before the deadline, as we covered in our Bills safety targets story.

How the Hooker deal got done

When Arizona refused, the Bills turned to Tennessee. The Titans first pushed back and planned to keep Hooker, because coach Robert Saleh loves him, according to Fowler. Buffalo came back again, and it took a counteroffer of sorts to finish the trade.

We broke down the terms in our Amani Hooker trade story. General manager Brandon Beane later called Hooker and Cole Bishop “a great marriage” at safety, as we covered in our Beane story.

Hooker’s debut comes against the Jets

Hooker’s first game with the Bills is Sunday against the Jets. Graziano noted that Hooker and the Titans lost to New York in Week 1, so he gets a chance at revenge in a Bills uniform.

The 7-1 Bills are 8.5-point favorites, according to ESPN’s Week 10 odds. Our Bills vs. Jets preview covers the matchup and the injuries Buffalo is managing.

What it tells us about Buffalo

The Bills already hold the AFC’s best record, and they still pushed hard to add a starting safety. Going for Baker first, then working Tennessee twice for Hooker, shows how much Beane wanted to fix the back end before the stretch run.

For every deal from deadline week, see our full trade tracker and our deadline winners and losers.

Sources: ESPN (2)