Maxwell Hairston is moving closer to his NFL debut. The first-round rookie had his practice window opened by the Bills on Monday, per the transactions wire. 
Last week, head coach Sean McDermott indicated a return to practice would be coming shortly. As such. today’s news comes as little surprise. The Bills now have 21 days to activate Hairston and avoid having him revert to season-ending injured reserve.
During roster cutdowns, Buffalo moved Hairston to IR with a return designation. That used up one of the team’s IR activations, meaning another will not be needed once the 22-year-old is officially brought back into the fold. More importantly, having Hairston available will provide a boost to Buffalo’s secondary – a unit which may be without fellow rookie Dorian Strong the rest of the way – as early as Week 8 as the team returns from its bye.
The Bills sit second in the NFL in pass defense, but their play against the run has been an issue so far. Buffalo has surrendered an average of 156 yards per game on the ground, the second-worst figure in the league. Adding Hairston to the mix is unlikely to make much of a different against the run, but the Kentucky product could certainly help a defense which has posted just two interceptions to date.
Over the course of his college career, Hairston posted six interceptions. Five of those came in 2023, although his lone pick from last season was returned for a touchdown. The 5-11, 183-pounder will look to add a playmaking element to Buffalo’s cornerback room early and often in his career. The Bills have Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White atop the depth chart for perimeter corners; Hairston will look to compete with the latter for playing time upon being activated.