The Chicago Bears know their defense is in a tough spot. Their secondary showed glaring weaknesses against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. Jaylon Johnson looks like a shell of himself, and Tyrique Stevenson remains as inconsistent as ever. Now their pass rush took a massive hit with Montez Sweat getting suspended and Dayo Odeyingbo suffering a quad injury. It has heightened fans’ sense of urgency for the team to really try to find some help on the trade market. Plenty of names have been thrown around. One who needs to join that mix is Maxwell Hairston.
Buffalo selected the Kentucky cornerback 30th overall in the 2024 NFL draft. He’s shown impressive flashes since then but has dealt with some health setbacks and inconsistency. Things appear to have reached a crossroads for the Bills. They have downgraded Hairston’s number of snaps in recent weeks, according to Bill Barnwell of ESPN. This suggests the team is running out of patience. If so, it might be the perfect time for a team like the Bears to swoop in with an offer.
“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.”
Maxwell Hairston is a perfect fit in Chicago.
For starters, the former 1st round pick is getting more heat than he deserves. Aside from that tough game against New England, he has played pretty well this season. Quarterbacks have completed only 10 of 21 passes in his direction. Every other starting cornerback on the team has been worse. So it’s pretty clear that the problems with the Bills’ defense go far beyond Hairston. This feels like the type of scenario that a calculated risk trading for him could yield massive benefits.
When it comes to fit, this is a match made in heaven. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen loves speed. Maxwell Hairston has plenty of that, as his 4.28 at the scouting combine showcased. He is tailor-made for the type of man-heavy coverage Allen likes to call. His lanky frame and impressive ball production will remind a lot of people of Nahshon Wright. We all saw what defensive backs coach Al Harris accomplished with him last season, and Hairston is more talented.
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The cost isn’t prohibitive.
Right now, Hairston’s value is at a low point. His playing time has reduced, and it’s pretty clear his status on the team is in limbo. In situations like that, you often see a player traded for something like a 4th or 5th round pick. If the Bears can unlock his potential, this is the time of investment that could pay huge dividends. We’re talking about somebody who could essentially replace Johnson as the mainstay cornerback in the secondary. It is the type of move where you trust your coaches to push the right buttons.
The trade deadline is a tricky beast to deal with. It is very rare to land somebody who is a bona fide difference-maker. In most cases, you have to take a gamble on somebody older who might be running out of gas or an exceedingly talented young guy who didn’t quite take off with his original team. Hairston is in the latter category. Chicago needs to shake things up at cornerback. They could do worse.
