Max Hairston injury

[Draconator]

2 hours ago, syhuang said:

 

 

Good hands in this video clip. Let him play some WR and he can be the guy who stretches the field. 

[MasterStrategist]

4 hours ago, syhuang said:

 

He will be close to 100% in 2 weeks, IMO.  

 

I'd expect that brace comes off in the next 7-10 days, and he wears a sleeve while that strenghth is building back up/until any residual swelling & pain is gone.

 

That would basically put us around the bye week, as myself and others have said.  No reason to rush him atm. Open that practice window during bye week and let him start getting some reps in practice for a couple weeks.  

Edited September 25 by MasterStrategist

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Pretty obvious the kinesthetic purpose of these drills with the brace is to strengthen the minor stabilizing muscles surrounding the knee. The minor atrophy and damage from the injury, along with purposeful rest, leaves you with a healed ligament yet structurally weak in regards to your muscular stability. Best to build these back up with supported movement (brace) in controlled, semi-lateral movements rather than go in full speed on a live rep and move in a way that will not be properly supported, further damaging the knee. 
 

I am not a doctor, but I did stay in a holiday inn express last night. 

Edited September 25 by EmotionallyUnstable

[wppete]

I don’t see why rush him back before the bye week. Slowly bring him back after the bye week. 

[Pecker]

On 9/24/2025 at 3:45 PM, TFBillsfan said:

Injuries suck. I don’t expect to even see Max until the last quarter of the season and that’s probably optimistic! That would equate to missing on our first three picks in the 2025 draft. 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

TJ sanders is playing a lot of snaps and decently well. 

[balln]

1 hour ago, ***** said:

TJ sanders is playing a lot of snaps and decently well. 

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/tj-sanders/146925
 

he’s ranked 166 out of 172 DL. Has a grade of 32. That’s mind blowingly bad. Rookie or not. 2nd rd!

[TheFunPolice]

It's a long season...

 

If he can get back by later October or even early November there's still 2 months of games. 

[RiotAct]

7 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

It's a long season...

 

If he can get back by later October or even early November there's still 2 months of games. 

more like 3, amirite?

[Thrivefourfive]

Ya know. We may have drafted the guy that’s gonna stand out on this defense. I’m talking Neon Deion “Primetime” Sanders here. We desperately need a player who looks deferent out there. Sauce Gardner looked different for a while. Kyle Hamilton looks different. Benford is so solid, but he doesn’t jump off the screen. Maybe Hairston can stalk WRs and grab ball and dazzle with returns for TDs. Maybe he does these things often enough for this defense to have something special, the thing they’ve missed on for years. The thing that makes it a co-headliner in Buffalo. We know we gotta have it. Haven’t had it. And haven’t won it. Maybe Mad A$$ Max is it, and can get us the ultimate “it”. 

[TheFunPolice]

19 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

more like 3, amirite?

 

Good call! 

[bills742]

 

[sven233]

14 minutes ago, bills742 said:

 

 

I am obviously no doctor and not in the building, but when I watch these videos, I get the sense the brace is more there as a precaution rather than a mandatory necessity.  I look at his body language while moving around and it just looks like he believes he's feeling good and things and getting stronger.  I am not saying he is close or anything like that, but I think he's getting more confident on it.

 

I still believe he is a ways away, but I think it might be more of a convenience thing with the Bye week coming up.  No need to open up his 21 day window when the last week would occur during the Bye week with no practice.  It's just more beneficial to wait until the week after the Bye and open it up then.  He gets 3 more weeks of healing and training and the team doesn't waste a week of the window.  That's just my thoughts on it.  Regardless, I think he is looking a bit better every week.

[Brand J]

Still the first player EVER that I’ve seen go down with a non-contact knee injury and not require surgery to repair a torn ligament. He and the Bills were very fortunate. 

[TFBillsfan]

On 9/25/2025 at 8:33 PM, ***** said:

TJ sanders is playing a lot of snaps and decently well. 

I want that to be true but it’s certainly not showing up in the stats. He has one tackle for all the playing time he’s had thus far. Jordan Phillips, who was just called up and played in one game, has the same amount. Walker on the other hand has made a noticeable difference and impact with similar playing time. 

[BillsShredder83]

On 9/25/2025 at 5:11 AM, Rochesterfan said:

 

That is not true.  The team can decide when or if they want to activate the return window once they are on IR.  
 

Even if healthy - they can leave him on IR for the year or they can activate a window and after 21 days - even if healthy - return him to full season IR.

 

The way he looks with the big brace and the fact that guys on IR can’t practice or attend meetings - my guess is physically there appears to be many things he can’t do and mentally he will need ramp up time.  
 

So if I had to guess - I would think they give him more time now to let it get better and then around the bye you start the activation if he is physically ready - so the coaches have a full week to try to mental work to catch him up followed by a couple of weeks of practice to put pieces together and then you add him to the roster.

 

There is no rush right now - give him maximum time - and know everything changes with another injury on the team - the Bills have the flexibility to speed up or slow down the timeline.

 

 

IR guys cant attend meetings? I get why they do that, to avoid the sandbagging but that is f*** duuummmbbbbb. If their is a single rule that I hope we're gaming, its 100% that one LOL

[Simon]

55 minutes ago, TFBillsfan said:

I want that to be true but it’s certainly not showing up in the stats. He has one tackle for all the playing time he’s had thus far. Jordan Phillips, who was just called up and played in one game, has the same amount. Walker on the other hand has made a noticeable difference and impact with similar playing time.

 

I'm not saying Sanders has been good, because he really hasn't yet.

But he is playing a different role than both Walker and Phillips.

[TheFunPolice]

If he can get up to speed and healthy and can get into games by even mid November then there's still a lot of football left where he could contribute 

[CEN-CAL17]

On 9/25/2025 at 6:24 PM, MasterStrategist said:

He will be close to 100% in 2 weeks, IMO.  

 

I'd expect that brace comes off in the next 7-10 days, and he wears a sleeve while that strenghth is building back up/until any residual swelling & pain is gone.

 

That would basically put us around the bye week, as myself and others have said.  No reason to rush him atm. Open that practice window during bye week and let him start getting some reps in practice for a couple weeks.  

He’s nowhere near 100% with a brace on like that. Obviously if he’s wearing a brace he’s not 100%. I’d say the brace gets him to 85%…. Then add on game ready percentages.

 

Don’t be surprised if Max isn’t back in the roster until mid November….. That will give him 8 games prior to playoffs. Priority to that is the NFL trade deadline. CB may be one of those positions we go after.

 

Max will not be 100% physically or game ready schematically this year. Knowing McD, he may not see the field. If he does it will be limited reps, down and distance and won’t be for another 5-6 games IMO.

[Low Positive]

39 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

IR guys cant attend meetings? I get why they do that, to avoid the sandbagging but that is f*** duuummmbbbbb. If their is a single rule that I hope we're gaming, its 100% that one LOL

I don't know how the cap works in relation to IR in the NFL, but contending NHL teams stash guys on LTIR all season, use the cap space for additional players, and then that injured player is magically healthy for the playoffs when the cap no longer applies. 

[Allen2Moulds]

Also no doctor here.

 

Admittedly I'm a glass is half full kind of guy, but I feel encouraged that he's weeks away, and not months away. As far as the playbook stuff goes. We really need to give him some field time, and take whatever lumps come with it. We have the eraser on the other side.

Ideally we get a few blowouts, and give him some time in the back half of the schedule, or when we wrap up the #1 seed by week 16.