The Buffalo Bills have opened the 21-day practice window for first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston, marking a significant step toward his NFL debut after a knee injury sidelined him since training camp.
“The Bills have opened the 21-day practice window for first-round CB Maxwell Hairston, who is on IR,” Ian Rapoport tweeted on Monday.
Buffalo selected Hairston with the 30th overall pick in April's draft. He suffered an LCL sprain on July 29 during training camp and was placed on injured reserve before the season started.
The move gives the Bills three weeks to activate Hairston to the 53-man roster. If they don't add him within 21 days, he'll revert to season-ending IR.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Hairston is moving in the right direction, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. Hairston was spotted working with the team's strength and conditioning staff along the sidelines during practice before Buffalo's Week 6 matchup against the Falcons.
The Buffalo Bills need Maxwell Hairston back
Buffalo's defense has taken multiple hits this season. Fellow rookie cornerback Dorian Strong was placed on IR with a neck injury in early October. Safety Damar Hamlin also landed on IR with a pectoral injury before the team's loss to Atlanta.
Despite the injuries, the Bills rank second in the NFL in pass defense, allowing just 181.2 yards per game. However, they've struggled against the run, giving up 156.3 yards per game on the ground.
Hairston brings elite speed to Buffalo's secondary. He ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and recorded six interceptions during his college career at Kentucky. Hairston is expected to start opposite Christian Benford once healthy. The Bills targeted him specifically for his ability to handle man coverage against speedy receivers downfield.
