In less than 24 hours, the Buffalo Bills will be taking on the Carolina Panthers in what is a must-win game for the Bills. Coming off a bye, the Bills are riding a two-game losing streak from Weeks 5-6. They lost at home to the Patriots and on the road to the Falcons. Now, they have to deal with a Panthers team that has been surprisingly good this season, but Bryce Young is not expected to play after suffering a high-ankle injury last Sunday.
Going back to the summer, the Bills have been hit with injuries and have had to get creative on their gameplans. One player that has yet to see the field this season is Bills’ first-round rookie cornerback, Maxwell Hairston. Even before the preseason, Hairston suffered a knee injury that kept him sidelined all the way until now.
He landed on the IR and had missed two extra games. Now, Bills fans may get the chance to finally see his debut against Carolina.
Maxwell Hairston set to make Bills debut vs. Panthers
The Buffalo Bills’ PR X account posted that the team activated Hairston from Injured Reserve, and then Adam Schefter later posted that Hairston is expected to suit up for the Bills tomorrow.
Bills activated first-round pick, CB Maxwell Hairston, off injured reserve and he is expected to play Sunday versus the Panthers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2025
Hairston was selected 30th overall in this past draft by the Bills out of Kentucky. Buffalo needed help at corner and Hairston was one of the fastest players coming out of college. With the Bills’ secondary playing inconsistent football, fans will now be hopeful that Hairston can come in and solidify the back end of the defense.
With Christian Benford getting his contract extension in the offseason, the ideal setup is that Hairston can become a solid CB2 over time and he and Benford can become a dominant cornerback duo.