Sean McDermott 'lowering expectations' for Bills' first-round rookie rehabbing knee

The Buffalo Bills' first-round CB Maxwell Hairston has yet to make his debut due to a LCL injury. He was training on the side during Wednesday's practice

Bills rookie defensive back Maxwell Hairston high-fives fans as he runs onto the field during day five of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Monday, July 28, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Maxwell Hairston's injury recovery timeline remains somewhat of a mystery as the Buffalo Bills prepare for their Week 4 home game against the New Orleans Saints.

The Bills' first-round rookie cornerback suffered a non-contact knee injury during a July 29 training camp practice. Initially feared to be an ACL tear, Hairston seemingly avoided a season-ending injury with the damage occurring to the LCL instead.

There were early reports that the LCL issue would sideline Hairston for 3-4 weeks. The problem is that the missed time occurred during a critical period in a rookie's development. For that reason, it was presumed Hairston would start the season on Injured Reserve with plenty of catching up to do.

"Right now, it's lowering expectations and managing them. Just taking it one day at a time. Seeing when, and if, he can comeback," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott on Wednesday in Orchard Park.

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Even as the Bills head into their final game of the month, McDermott still failed to provide any clarity on Hairston's progress and any hurdles he still needs to clear. The rookie CB is eligible to come off IR following the September 28 game.

Jun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) works out during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

"I don't want to cast doubt on the situation, but you just still never know, until a player's back. It's somewhat of a unique injury a little bit. The information I'm getting is we're still taking it one day at a time," said McDermott. "Like anything else, there's a lot of unknowns, and that's really where we're at. We're really trying to control what we can, and I know he is as well."

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The good news is that Hairston was spotted exercising with trainers during Wednesday's practice according to a number of reporters in attendance. The 5-foot-11 cornerback, who is known for elite closing speed, wore a brace on his injured right knee.

"When a player's missed this amount of time, you want to manage the expectations and say 'hey, is he going to come back and is he going to come back and be able to play and help us.' There's a lot of ground to cover physically and mentally at this point. The hope is yes, he's able to do that. There's no new report medically at all," said McDermott.

With the head coach having nothing new to report, the guess work continues when it comes to the Bills' first-round draft pick.

Bills veteran defensive back Christian Benford talks with rookie Maxwell Hairston between drills at St. John Fisher University Monday, July 28, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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