The Buffalo Bills have been in a Super Bowl or bust mentality ever since Josh Allen became one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The thing is, they have fallen short multiple times in recent years. The hope is that 2025 is finally the season the team wins their first-ever Lombardi Trophy.
Considering the Bills have made Allen one of the highest-paid players in the league, the team has to cost-cut in certain areas. When looking at the roster, their secondary remains one of their weak spots in training camp. They could not afford an injury.
Maxwell Hairston, the team's first-round pick out of Kentucky, dealt with a non-contact knee injury during Tuesday's practice. The good news, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, is that Hairston is believed to have avoided a serious injury, as he is dealing with a sprain that will sideline him week-to-week. The Bills are confident that Hairston will be ready for the start of the season.
The #Bills feel confident that Maxwell Hairston should be ready for Week 1 and possibly even before that. Overall, this is a major sigh of relief considering what it looked like. 😮💨 https://t.co/se9j7AKFah
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 30, 2025
Maxwell Hairston injury shows just how weak Bills CB depth is
It's good news that Hairston avoided a serious injury and isn't in danger of missing the start of the season. But, it does bring attention to Buffalo's lack of cornerback depth.
This offseason, the Bills let veteran Rasul Douglas leave via free agency (and still is without a team) and they traded away Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys. Instead of bringing in notable additions to the cornerback room, they instead opted for two reunion signings. Specifically, the Bills brought back Dane Jackson and Tre'Davious white on one year deals.
Jackson is coming off of a rough lone season with the Carolina Panthers, where he played just nine games and started just three of them, where he allowed 22 receptions for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 29 targets, per Pro Football Reference. As for white, he split time between the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens, where he allowed 17 catches for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 28 targets, per Pro Football Reference.
That's not to say that the Bills have no cornerbacks. They have Christian Benford as their top cornerback. and is considered one of the best at his position across the entire NFL. Last season, Benford recorded 64 combined tackles (50 solo, 14 assisted), 10 pass breakups, and two interceptions. In coverage, per Pro Football Reference, Benford allowed 37 receptions for 316 yards and four touchdowns on 58 targets.
Hairston slots in as their starting cornerback, but with this injury he may get eased into that role due to the amount of time he'd miss in camp. This is a wake up call for the Bills and their fanbase that one injury to a cornerback could massively hurt their chances of contending.