Time is running out for Buffalo Bills cornerback and 2025 1st-round pick Maxwell Hairston, who is shaping up to be one of the franchise’s bigger draft busts in recent memory.

Hairston continues to struggle to level up as his team chases a Super Bowl, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put the Kentucky product at the top of his list of NFL coaches and players on the hot seat headed into Week 6.

“This season was supposed to be a fresh start for Hairston, but his first month was a mess,” Barnwell wrote on October 15. “The 23-year-old allowed two touchdown passes in the 29-26 loss to the Patriots, leading defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to publicly encourage Hairston to temper his emotions … The Bills have said the right thing publicly, but actions speak louder than words. Against the Rams on Monday, Hairston’s snap share cratered with the return of Christian Benford. The Bills kept Davison Igbinosun in the lineup ahead of Hairston, who played just 15 snaps on defense. Igbinosun committed a pass interference penalty in the red zone and allowed a touchdown catch, which won’t help his case, but he still appears to be ahead of Hairston on the depth chart.”

Hairston Apologizes After Petty Moment

Hairston’s rookie year was pretty much a wash after he missed 8 games—6 regular-season games and 2 playoff games—due to a knee injury and never got to be a full-time starter.

Things got weird this year when he refused to speak with the media and stormed out of the locker room after the loss to the Patriots.

The next day, Hairston returned with an apology.

“I wanted to start this off by apologizing for walking out yesterday,” Hairston said. “I was feeling very emotional; I let my emotions get the best of me, and I didn’t want to say something I might have regretted.”

Hairston, a 2025 1st-round pick (No. 30 overall), has struggled mightily this season — through 4 games, his 39.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks him 100th out of 104 eligible players at his position.