Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston did not suffer a significant knee injury during training camp this week as initially feared after tests revealed no ACL damage and a LCL sprain, according to Ian Rapoport. Hairston could return as soon as three weeks and is not expected to miss any time long-term.
Hairston left Tuesday’s practice with help from team medical staff and moved gingerly on his right knee after a “freak trip up” during drills, per teammates. Bills head athletic trainer Nate Breske immediately came to Hairston’s aid and he was joined by several teammates, including Dane Jackson.
“We said a prayer for him and we (tried to) uplift him,” Jackson said after practice. “Hope to see him when we get in here and find out everything that’s going on with him and (hope for) a speedy recovery for him too. He’s been doing a great job at camp as well.”
Hairston alluded to the positive testing news Tuesday night on his Instagram story, attaching a photo captioned, “beyond blessed, thank you God” with a praying hands emoji to suggest a good report. The Bills did not practice Wednesday and return to their normal camp routine later this week.
NFL training camp injury panic meter: Could Matthew Stafford, Joe Mixon and Justin Jefferson miss Week 1?
Tyler Sullivan
Various teams have suffered significant injury news during the start of training camp, including several projected starters around the league going down with long-term ailments.
If Hairston’s situation would’ve included ligament damage, the Bills would be in dire straits given the lack of depth at the back end of the defense. Hairston is battling veteran Tre’Davious White for one of the starting cornerback spots alongside Christian Benford.
“I was salty, I was upset,” Benford said after Hairston’s injury. “That’s somebody who’s a pure-hearted kid. That’s someone you work with off the field so much and you put so much time in with them and then they fall like that. Something happening to him … you never want that to happen. You don’t even pray that on your worst enemies. I’m sick about that.”
Hairston’s official 4.28-second 40-yard dash time at the NFLCombine in February solidified a first-round grade as one of this cycle’s fastest players.
Hairston was a three-years-and-out player at Kentucky, becoming the third player at the program to leave early for the draft in as many years after joining Carrington Valentine and Dru Phillips. Hairston recorded six interceptions over his last two seasons in the SEC, including three he returned for touchdowns.
Add Comment