The assembled Buffalo Bills media received a surprise on Monday when starting cornerback Maxwell Hairston came to the podium to address the controversy over his walkout after Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots — Hairston bolted from the locker room without answering reporters’ questions.
“I wanted to start this off by apologizing for walking out yesterday,” Hairston said. “I was feeling very emotional; I let my emotions get the best of me, and I didn’t want to say something I might have regretted.”
The Patriots won, 29-26, handing the Bills their 1st loss of the season. Buffalo now heads West for a primetime showdown on Monday Night Football against the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.
Hairston, a 2025 1st-round pick (No. 30 overall), has struggled mightily this season — through 4 games, his 45.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks him 93rd out of 101 eligible players at his position.
Reactions to Maxwell Hairston’s Day-Late Apology
Hairston has been one of the most scrutinized players on the roster this season because of his poor play. That has no doubt filtered to Hairston and likely fueled part of his walkout.
“Great to see,” Bills reporter Kevin Siracuse wrote on his official X account on Monday. “I lost a good amount of respect for Bills CB Maxwell Hairston yesterday for not only his lack of effort on that 3rd & 10 on the final drive, but also for walking out of the locker room without answering any questions. In my opinion, when looking at the overall picture, those two things are worse than allowing the 2 TDs because touchdowns are going to happen — dogging it should never happen. However, this accountability just gained my respect right back.”
“Max Hairston came to the podium on Monday, which is rare for a Bills player to do,” News 4 Buffalo’s Carl Jones wrote on X. “He apologized for not speaking with the media after the game.”
Bills Head Coach Defends Hairston After Loss
Hairston had 1 key defender after his struggles against the Patriots — 1st-year head coach Joe Brady.
“There’s a reason that Maxwell Hairston is out there,” Brady said after the game. “We’re young on defense. We need to be able to work through some things. I trust our defensive coaches. I don’t want to be a micromanager and say ‘hey, take him out.’ I’ve got all the confidence in Maxwell.”
Struggling Bills CB Maxwell Hairston Apologizes for Actions After Loss to Pats