Buffalo Bills Maxwell Hairston jogs to another area of the field during voluntary workout at their practice facility on May 27, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills' rookie CB posts cryptic Instagram story after potentially serious injury

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Alex Brasky | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 12:38 PM ET

Buffalo Bills' fans have grown all too familiar with cryptic social media posts.

First, it was Stefon Diggs’ Twitter dealings throughout his dramatic saga with the team. Now, it’s rookie cornerback Max Hairston making waves with his own crypticism on Instagram following a frightening injury during Tuesday’s Bills training camp practice.

Hairston hit the turf with what appeared to be a non-contact knee injury during a pass rush drill midway through Tuesday morning’s session at St. John Fisher University. Later that night, on his Instagram story, Hairston posted a photo of himself, smiling, with the text “Beyond blessed Thank you God.”

Then, on Wednesday morning, Hairston crafted another post, a blank black background with the words “God has my back, I can’t lose” and the song “Give It to Jesus” by Eugy Official attached to the post.

The two posts have sent Bills fans into a frenzy, as they try to decipher the meaning behind the rookie cornerback’s mysteriousness.

Hairston is expected to factor into the competition for one of the team’s starting cornerback positions, opposite incumbent starter Christian Benford. His absence would cause a shakeup within the team’s cornerback room, where Tre’Davious White has impressed with the first-team defense throughout training camp. Veteran Dane Jackson was acquired via free agency this offseason and may also factor into the positional battle. Ja’Marcus Ingram is another player to keep in mind, while rookie Dorian Strong has shown flashes of brilliance throughout training camp as well.

On Wednesday, Madden NFL 26 released its list of top-10-rated rookies, with Hairston coming in at No. 10 with a 78 overall rating. Big things are expected of him during his first professional season, with all eyes now focused on any updates regarding the rookie’s apparent knee injury.

The hope is that he avoided a serious, long-term ailment.