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Has Maxwell Hairston Already Lost His Spot on the Bills’ Cornerback Depth Chart?
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- Has Maxwell Hairston Already Lost His Spot on the Bills’ Cornerback Depth Chart?
Maxwell Hairston opened his second season as a starting cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, but five weeks in, that job looks like it belongs to rookie Davison Igbinosun. When Christian Benford returned from a toe injury for Monday night's 37-34 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Bills kept Igbinosun on the outside and moved the 2025 first-round pick to a reserve role.
Igbinosun, the No. 62 overall pick out of Ohio State in April, played 69 of the defense's 82 snaps at SoFi Stadium. Hairston didn't get on the field until the second quarter and finished with less than a quarter of the defensive snaps. That usage is why ESPN's Bill Barnwell put him on his hot seat list entering Week 6, writing that Igbinosun "still appears to be ahead of Hairston on the depth chart."
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How the Patriots loss changed things
Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs #87 makes a catch for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston #1 defends during the first quarter at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The slide started in Week 4. Romeo Doubs beat Hairston for both of his touchdown catches in a 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots at the new Highmark Stadium, and Hairston left the locker room without speaking to reporters. He apologized the next day.
"Feeling very emotional, I let my emotions get the best of me and I didn't want to say something I might have regretted. You live, and you learn," Hairston said during his Monday availability . Head coach Joe Brady backed him that same day, saying, "He's going to be out there this Monday, and he's going to make a play."
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Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard addressed the cornerback rotation Tuesday . "The intent was not to limit his snaps as much as we did," Leonhard said, before adding, "We thought IGB was playing well yesterday and kind of rolled with him on the outside."
Igbinosun hasn't been airtight. He was beaten for Puka Nacua's 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and PFF has his passer rating allowed at 117.5 this season. Hairston's tape through four weeks was rougher, though, with a 42.9 coverage grade that ranked 92nd of 102 cornerbacks. Around Orchard Park, the debate over the No. 2 cornerback job isn't going away, and Sunday's trip to Las Vegas is Hairston's last chance to win it back before the bye.
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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.
