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The Buffalo Bills appeared to have high hopes for rookie Daequan Hardy, a cornerback who looked to have an inside track on the return specialist job.
But the sixth-round draft pick ended up being waived at the final roster cutdown, making his way back to the team as a practice squad addition the next day. The team’s decision to release Hardy drew some questions, with USA Today’s Nick Wojton calling it the most “surprising” release of the offseason for the Bills.
Wojton acknowledged without elaboration that there were “layers” to the decision.
“The Bills used a sixth-round selection on Hardy and coveted his abilities as a return man,” Wojton wrote. “Head coach Sean McDermott continually had better and better things to say about Hardy during the preseason. Fast-forward to cutdown day, Hardy is waived and the Bills made an in-division trade with the New York Jets for Brandon Codrington to be their returner.”
On August 27, McDermott called Hardy’s decision-making “vastly improved,” according to a different story from Wojton, who wrote that it appeared Hardy was “locking one in” when it came to a roster spot.
And Pro Football Focus said Hardy had the 25th best cornerback grade of the preseason, according to Syracuse.com, which noted Hardy’s 3 pass breakups and his allowing only 2 receptions on 10 targets.
“So what gives?” Matt Parrino wrote on August 28. “Hardy is an undersized cornerback who was projected to be best playing out of the slot after starring at Penn State. But shortly after camp began, the Bills made a change and played Hardy on the boundary.
“The Bills have plenty of depth at outside cornerback,” he wrote. “Ultimately, it appeared to be just a simple numbers game, and Hardy may not have done enough to secure return duties.”
Bills Add Different Rookie to Their Secondary
Bills general manager Brandon Beane explained after cutdown day that the team had cast a wide net while looking for its new kick returner. The position carries greater importance this season after the NFL instituted new kickoff rules that greatly encourage returns.
“We went through a lot of returners in the spring — guys that got drafted, guys that did not,” Beane said, via Ralph Ventre of Rochester First. “Some guys did it a little bit. Some guys did it a lot. Some guys played at big schools. In this case, some guys played at small schools. You’re looking at a lot different things. You’re trying to make the best decision you can.”
That process helped lead Beane to Codrington, who signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina Central. Codrington showed some big potential as a kick returner, leading the Bills to make a trade that landed the rookie in exchange for a late-round pick swap in the 2026 draft.
“When you watch and then you saw it translate to what he did in the preseason. Again, for him, still a small NFL sample, but felt he made good decisions, fielded it cleanly,” Beane said.
Daequan Hardy Will Need to Compete for Role
Hardy could still have a chance to play a role on the team despite missing the initial 53-man roster, but he will need to beat out some competition. The Bills made other practice squad additions to provide depth in the secondary, including former first-round safety Lewis Cine.
The Bills have also left the door open for a potential return for Hyde, who said earlier in the offseason he was still considering coming back to play another season. Beane said there have been no specific talks, but would be open to the idea of him coming back for another season.
“Nothing recent,” Beane said when asked about his contact with Hyde, via SI.com. “Kind of just seeing where it goes. Love Micah and we have not closed the door on that, and as far as I understand, I don’t think Micah has either. We’ll stay in touch. Love Micah.”
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