Maxwell Hairston was the Bills’ first-round pick in 2025, but he’s coming off of his worst game of the season after allowing two touchdowns in a loss to the Patriots. However, that hasn’t stopped Hairston from saying that he’s excited to face the Rams on Monday, where he could be matched up against receivers like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
“I love it,” Hairston said this past week on the opportunity to face Matthew Stafford’s Rams
.“I think it would be a great time for me to go against those guys
as I’m trying to get myself together, this defense get together. Another opportunity.”
Perhaps the Rams are even more excited to see Hairston than he is to face them.
Drake Maye targeted Hairston eight times in Week 4, completing four passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Hairston is allowing a passer rating against of at least 100.6 on 20 pass attempts, per ProFootballReference. Although some sites have it as even worse than that. In fact, all the Bills corners are struggling on defense.
Hairston’s disappointg career after being the 30th overall pick out of Kentucky in 2025 has drawn the ire of Buffalo fans and media alike over the past year. He’s allowing 14.8 yards per completion this season.
After his poor game against the Patriots, Hairston also “stormed out of the locker room” and avoided facing the media, an act that he later apologized for.
Bills head coach Joe Brady insisted that the team hasn’t lost confidence in Hairston, even against the reigning MVP with Nacua and Adams.
“He’s going to be out there this Monday, and he’s going to make a play,” Brady added. “That’s the confidence that we have in him, and I need him to have that confidence in himself. I think he does.”
Hairston has had good moment, including a good game in Week 3 when he allowed just one catch for seven yards. But Bills fans have mainly pointed the finger at him as an example for why Buffalo ranks 25th in points allowed, 31st in first downs allowed, and 29th in passing touchdowns allowed during Jim Leonhard’s first season as defensive coordinator.
If Hairston isn’t the main problem, then he at least represents (for fans) bad drafting, bad coaching, and bad effort by some of Buffalo’s defensive players.
It is especially interesting when you consider that Hairston was the 30th pick in 2025, while the Rams traded the 29th overall pick to acquire Trent McDuffie this year; McDuffie has been a top-five cornerback in the NFL this season.
For the same draft price, you can get very different results if you’re willing to pay the contract.
Hairston also has two missed tackles in four games. That’s when he’s trying to make a tackle.
So Hairston may be looking forward to facing the Rams. When Puka gets an opportunity to go one-on-one against him, he may have a similar thought in mind.
Something along the lines of, “I love it.”
