Maxwell Hairston is the new No. 2 cornerback for the Buffalo Bills.
He's No. 1 on his jersey.
Hairston is switching from No. 31 to No. 1.
Hairston will start opposite Christian Benford. Bills coach Joe Brady ended any uncertainty about the job after Buffalo's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"He's our starting corner," Brady said. "Maxwell's got exactly what we look for in a corner."
Hairston missed Buffalo's first two preseason games with a groin injury while rookie Davison Igbinosun made a push for playing time. Hairston returned for the preseason finale, and Brady made it clear afterward that the job still belonged to him.
"He's our guy," Brady said.
Now he'll look a little different doing it.
Hairston wore No. 31 throughout his
rookie season and during training camp this summer. No. 1 had belonged to wide receiver Mecole Hardman during training camp and the preseason before the Bills released him during roster cuts.
Curtis Samuel wore No. 1 for Buffalo last season.
Hairston has some history with the number, too.
He wore No. 1 at Kentucky before the Bills selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hairston's rookie season got off to a delayed start after he opened the year on injured reserve. He made his NFL debut in October and appeared in 11 games with three starts, finishing with 18 tackles, five passes defended and two interceptions.
Year 2 begins differently.
Hairston is healthy, he's Buffalo's starting cornerback opposite Benford and he's back in a familiar number.
Hairston will get his first chance to wear No. 1 in a regular-season game when the Bills visit the Texans at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Reliant Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills have a new No. 2 cornerback. He's switching his jersey to No. 1
