There is no doubt that the Tennessee Titans were disappointing in 2024. Their 3-14 record was the worst in the league, and they underachieved in almost every area.
One player who consistently appears to fly under the radar is safety Amani Hooker. Hooker may not be the flashiest safety in the NFL, but he was the anchor of their battered secondary in 2024 and kept things going in the face of adversity. Even with that steady play as injuries piled up around him, he often went unnoticed by the masses.
Tom Blair of NFL.com agrees with that sentiment, naming Hooker the Titans’ most underappreciated player heading into the 2025 season.
Tennessee Titans – S Amani Hooker
It might be easy to forget amid the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, that some things did work in Tennessee last season. Like, for example, the defense, which finished second in both passing yards and overall yards allowed. Sure, that might have something to do with the short fields opponents were provided by a Titans offense that tied for the league lead in giveaways, but it’s still not nothing! And as ugly as the team’s turnover margin was (-16), Hooker did his damndest to pull the balance in Tennessee’s favor, racking up five picks and two forced fumbles, both career highs. He also posted the best EPA when targeted (-9.6) and second-lowest passer rating allowed (69.4) among Titans players with at least 100 coverage snaps last season, per NGS. Third-round pick Kevin Winston might line up as the eventual replacement for the seventh-year pro, who has one more season left on his current contract. But in the meantime, Hooker can try to help the defense give Ward the friendliest possible environment to develop into the player this franchise needs him to be.
The Titans will have to make a decision soon on Hooker and his future with the organization. He is entering the final year of a three-year $30 million contract signed in 2023. Heading into his seventh season, he has amassed 334 total tackles (242 solo), five forced fumbles, and 12 interceptions in 80 career games in Nashville.
Hooker looks to be the type of “draft, develop, retain” player that general manager Mike Borgonzi has talked about throughout the offseason with their new organizational philosophy. With some money still available under the salary cap, there is a chance the Titans will extend him prior to the start of the 2025 season, but if they don’t he could be heading into his final year in Nashville.