Darius Slay doesn’t want to play for the Buffalo Bills, and Christian Benford is on the wrong side of questionable for for their game against the New England Patriots.
That means it’s likely going to be on 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston to help keep the NFL’s second-best passing offense in check. Bills coach Sean McDermott expressed confidence in the rookie in doing so Friday.
Hairston has played seven games, and started one in place of Benford, this season for the Bills. He has earned a 65.3 grade from Pro-Football Focus this year.
Sean McDermott: ‘It’s Time For’ Maxwell Hairston To Continue To Grow
Benford reinjured his toe Thursday in practice and had his foot in a boot and seems unlikely to play after he didn’t practice Friday.
So Hairston, who started for Benford in Buffalo’s 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 9, is likely to get the nod as the starting cornerback.
McDermott seems just fine with letting Hairston sink or swim, since the Bills are going to need him to do so eventually.
“It’s time for him to continue to grow,” McDermott said. “His development is important for our team for this year and also beyond this year.”
Hairston’s development was stunted during training camp after he sustained a LCL sprain that cost him the first six games of the Bills season. He has played well since coming back though, sharing second place on the team’s interceptions list with Benford and A.J. Epenesa.
“You go back to the beginning [of the season] where he missed quite a bit of time, so we’re still playing catch up a little bit,” McDermott said. “It’s also important that he grows for us as well and learns along the way, and that’s part of the growth process there.”
If Maxwell Hairston Can’t Cut It, The Bills Will Find Someone Who Can
The Bills tried to claim Slay off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers to bolster their secondary, but he never reported to One Bills Drive. Benford could miss his second game, though McDermott said he didn’t think the fourth-year vet’s injury was serious.
Still, the Bills are operating with a next-man up mentality, which means Hairston is likely to get the first opportunity but not the only opportunity, if Benford can’t go.
âThings come up, and you donât want them to come up, but itâs football,â McDermott said. âWe practiced basically once this week, so it is what it is. It is frustrating, but at the same time itâs next-man up and weâve been doing that all year, so Iâm confident that somebody will step up if thatâs whatâs needed here.â
Buffalo’s depth chart at cornerback is thin, since if Benford can’t play, the roles will be Hairston’s and veteran Tre’Davious White’s for Sunday, since Dorian Strong is on injured reserve. Veteran Dane Jackson is waiting for an opportunity on Buffalo’s practice squad though.
Still, even though the Bills players have earned McDermott’s trust, he knows any replacements will have their work cut out for them.
“It’s never easy,” McDermott said. “These quarterbacks in this league, all of them are good.”
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