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Bills Linked to 6-Foot-2 CB as Maxwell Hairston's Coverage Struggles Pile Up
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- Bills Linked to 6-Foot-2 CB as Maxwell Hairston's Coverage Struggles Pile Up
Maxwell Hairston didn't get on the field Monday night in Los Angeles until the second quarter, and the Buffalo Bills' 37-34 overtime win over the Rams didn't change the bigger question about his place on the depth chart . Bleacher Report's Alex Kay has an outside answer in mind, and he plays in Philadelphia.
Kay proposed a trade that would send Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo to Buffalo for a 2027 seventh-round pick in his one trade for each of the NFL's best teams . He argued that a big, physical corner would give the Bills an upgrade on the outside.
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The Bills' pass defense needs answers
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) makes a catch against Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (1) during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
Buffalo is 4-1, but it has won a lot of shootouts. The Bills are allowing 280.4 passing yards per game, 31st in the league, and have given up 13 touchdown passes. Hairston has been at the center of it. PFF ranks Hairston 101st of 104 cornerbacks with a 36.1 coverage grade, and quarterbacks have a 123.2 passer rating when throwing his way. Romeo Doubs beat him for two touchdowns in the Week 4 loss to the Patriots, and Hairston skipped his postgame media session before apologizing the next day.
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"I let my emotions get the best of me," Hairston said at his apology news conference . Head coach Joe Brady backed him, and the team hasn't benched him outright. But with Christian Benford back from a toe injury, rookie Davison Igbinosun played 69 of 82 defensive snaps against the Rams.
Ringo would give the Bills a bigger body to work into that rotation. The 24-year-old is 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, and he played 28% of Philadelphia's defensive snaps last season with three starts. This year, every one of his snaps has come on special teams, per Pro Football Reference .
The price fits a tight budget. Ringo's base salary is $1.145 million in the final year of his rookie deal, and Buffalo has about $4.8 million in cap space, per Over the Cap . A seventh-round pick is a small bet for a team that wants to be playing at the new Highmark Stadium in January, and Sunday's trip to Las Vegas could decide how badly the Bills need to make it.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
